The Forgotten Melody
by CrystalMage149
Summary: She's wrapped in darkness just as much as Ren is. This little mermaid sinks deeper and deeper to the point where she's afraid it will succumb her. The same goes for Ren, as he is scared of Kuon taking over him. Are they both at the same level?
1. Prologue

**Kyoko's POV**

_You know that story with a mermaid that loved adventure? She would always swim to the surface because of her curiosity, even though it was forbidden. She was interested at humans, as they had legs and she did not. She would soon fall in love with a man that she saw, and save his life when there was a massive storm that came her way. _

_On the shore, she saw that he was breathing. She would be relieved and give him a little kiss. She would then sing him a song. This was the most enchanting voice ever, and the man knew that when he woke up. His vision was blurry, but he knew that a woman saved him._

_He would search for this woman, trying to find her again, while she was trying to see him again._

_With a couple of bumps in the road, they soon were together. What was that story called again? Ah, now I remember. _

_"The Little Mermaid"._

_That was my favourite story to hear. It was almost my own story as I, too, saved a man that almost drowned. To be together with him, I traded my voice for legs. I couldn't communicate with him, but I was happy to stay by his side. What surprised me was that he seemed happy with me around. Even when I couldn't speak, it didn't bother him. He understood me, just as if I was speaking to him._

_I wanted to tell him who I was, that I was the one that saved him years ago, until that day... that dreadful day._

_When he told me to come with him to Tokyo, I gladly said yes. I left so many friends behind. Moko san, Chiori, and even my human butler Sebastien. I think he was with the head of LME, a rivalry of Akatoki Agency? Sho was a big contributor of Akatoki, but not as famous as LME's Tsuruga Ren.  
><em>

_But... I soon found out that he only used me as a maid. What am I going to do now._

_I left him, too angry to even confront him. I don't even think he would be worried to see if I'm not in that apartment again. _

_I went back to the sea, got my voice back, and swam back to my kingdom. This didn't make my mother happy, as she didn't like how I left her to be with a human. She then placed a spell on me. If I didn't find love by the time I was 17, I would forever be a human. I didn't want that._

"If you didn't, then you shouldn't have become a human in the first place!" _she would say._

_Instead of my voice, she took my ability to sing. Now, I can't sing anymore. What was I going to do?_

_Where am I going to go now?_

_Hmm... wasn't LME a rival of Akatoki? I guess I'll start my revenge there._


	2. The Beginning of the Love Me Section?

_**On my deviantArt account, I posted some of the pages for the fanbook. It has the same username as this one. Go to my FanFiction profile and there should be a link to my profile for DA. For the link of the whole book, go to **_**_my DA account and check out the last pic I posted._**_** I didn't do the whole book, as it would take too long. The link that is in the description would take you to the whole fanbook. It is all in Chinese though... If anyone is interested, you can translate it if you like**_

_**I just posted the pictures, by the way, as I don't think many people have seen the fanbook. If you type it up on Google, most likely you wouldn't see the full book. If I posted it on DA, it would then let people have a glimpse. If they were looking at them till the end, they would then see the link to the full book that I gave them to see. There are times that the site Baidu might have this weird bear crying... if that ever happens, refresh your page. I got it several times when I went back and forth just to get the pics' URL.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>In the city of Tokyo, a woman ran down the streets, barefooted wearing nothing but a swimsuit, in the cold month of February. This was absurd, no matter how many times people looked at it. Even if you could boast that you weren't cold, there was no way you could wear a bathing suit when it was snowing.<p>

Well, maybe if you wanted to freeze to death.

She ran toward the doors of LME, a notorious talent agency, all out of breath. Every looked at her were more ridiculed than the people outside. Did she think wearing that would make her be a part of their agency? Surely not.

The President was stroding along the halls, with his entourage of dancers behind him. His back up dancers stopped when they saw the girl panting at the opening doorway. Glancing at what they could be looking at, he suddenly saw someone he never thought he would see.

His butler saw her first, and came to her crouched form. She was shaking, almost more scared of everything around her.

"Mistress! What are you doing?" explained Sebastien. He was surprised to see his previous lady after many years. When she suddenly fell in love with... what was his name? Oh, never mind. He must be unimportant if he forgot. When she fell in love with that human, she couldn't bring him along. She didn't want him involved, as her mother would think that it was his own fault that she had this emotion for a human.

She didn't want him in trouble.

So she sent him to Lory, a master that knew about the world of the merpeople. He was known to have helped many, and Kyoko wanted Sebastien to hide until she came back.

And here she was.

"Mistress? Do you need me to get you some water?" He held out a hand and was surprised to see her quiet. She would usually talk nonstop, with twinkles in her eyes. What happened that girl? Why did she disappear?

Was it that boy's fault?

"Sebastien," she croaked. "I ca-can't-t sp-" she choked violently.

"Mistress!" He stroked her back softly. "Hang on! I'll go get help!" He lifted her lifeless body up, which was burning up, and went to the agency's own private little hospital.

Many more were wondering how Sebastien knew such a woman, and why he would show such panic. Usually, he was calm as a cucumber. There was no way he would get angry either. But... who was that woman?

Mistress? Wasn't he just the President's master? The only one he called as his mistress was Maria. And that... was not Maria.

* * *

><p>"Mistress, are you okay?" Sebastien would repeat over and over again. He placed an ice pad on her forehead, patting it down tight. She nodded, shivering at its cold waves. She then suddenly cried. She ducked into the covers, not wanting to see him.<p>

"Mistress? Please tell me that-"

She shot back up and shook her finger, as if to say, _"Don't call me, Mistress!"_

He sighed. "Kyoko sama," That wasn't any better, "can you tell me why you are in that attire? I thought you were... wait a minute. Did you go back to the ocean? At this time of the year?" he cried out. It didn't matter that this might confused others around them. They were alone.

She nodded.

"But why? Did something happen between you two?" he asked, adjusting her bed so she could sleep properly. He added a few more pillows to elevate her height.

"H-he betra- ack!" she choked. She grabbed her throat with one hand to massage it. It hurt like hell just to speak.

"Mistre- I mean, Kyoko sama! Does your throat hurt?" He didn't wait for a response when he gave her a glass of water to drink. He then handed her a phone for her to text out her answers.

**He betrayed me! That man...! I want to kill him!** she texted. Her fingers were on the tiny keyboard in front of her, texting quickly of her situation. **It's because of h****im that I lost my voice. I traded it for legs just to be with him. When I found out he didn't love me, I went back to the sea. That did no good, as Mother got angry. Even when I got my voice back, she took my singing voice! I haven't spoken a word in 2 years, and my throat hurts...**

"I see..." sighed the worried butler. He fluffed her pillows gently and set her head back down. "Your mother is a sea witch as well as the queen. I wouldn't be surprised if she did that. Tell me, did she say how you can sing again?" he asked.

**I must find love before I'm 17. But why would she do that? She hated how I fell in love with a human, so what point is she trying to make that I must fall for one again? She even said if I don't, I'll forever be a human.**

"And you don't want that, now do you?" Sebastien calmly spoke. He gently tucked her in as if she was still 6 years old again.

She murmured an inaudible reply, but began to feel groggy.

"Kyoko sama, why did you come to LME? What were you thinking that you would find if you came here?" he asked. He patted the ice pack lightly as she closed her eyes.

The only response she mustered was, "Revenge."

* * *

><p>"My, my... is this the young lady that was your mistress, Sebastien?" Lory held his chin with a fist and laughed. "Never in all my years would I have thought I would meet the famous "Pearl Princess". Tell me, what brings you here?"<p>

The girl before him, who was wearing a flowing red dress over her swim suit, let out a hmph. She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh? Does the lady refuse to tell me?" He grinned some more. "Where are your manners? I was told you couldn't speak, and I even gave you a phone to text to me what you were doing here. Now you're _refusing_?"

Finally, she fingered around the cell. **Sorry, sir. I just feel awkward at being called the Pearl Princess. Please, from now on, refrain from calling that to me.**

Reading the text aloud, Lory looked up at her. She still held her gaze locked onto him, and then he sighed. "I see... are you embarrassed to be in the state you're in?"

She gasped and scrunched up her face. **I..! Forget it... **She looked away. **Please.****.. help me with my revenge with Fuwa Sho.**

"Fuwa Sho? The singer from Akatoki Agency? What ever for?"

**He was the one that broke my heart. He called me plain and having no sex appeal! He brought me to Tokyo only because he was too lazy to do housework. He's the reason why I traded my voice for legs. It's because of him that_**

She paused. She looked up and saw the anger in the President's eyes.

"And you want me to help you become famous, just so you can gloat in his face? Make him realize that he lost someone precious to him? I'm sorry, but the fact that that is your reason for wanting to be in my agency, I can't accept it."

A heavy thud went in her chest. She bit her lips and furrowed her eyebrows, as if to ask, "Why?".

"Miss, when you hear the word, love, what do you think of it?" he asked.

**LOVE IS A PRELUDE OF DISASTER AND DESPAIR!**

Whether she just accidentally hit the caps lock on the key pad, it was sure emphasizing how much hatred she had on love.

The President sighed. "Look, a show star doesn't work for his own satisfaction. He does it so people love him, as he can only thrive if his audience loves him. If you have these thoughts of love," he looked at the girl, as she gripped the cellphone tightly, "then how are you going to make others love you?"

A small prick jabbed her. His words were right. If she wanted her revenge, then she had to allow herself to love others. But...

**Mister, how am I suppose to love strangers, people I never met before? It's impossible for me, who was recently heartbroken. Love... doesn't exist. I did everything just so I would be loved, but I never got anything back in return.**

_Nothing? How could- _he looked up from the screen, and saw her sorrowful smile. _-someone not love her back? Did that man hurt her that much?_

He rubbed the back of his neck and went over to her, patting her shoulders. "Mogami san, would you like to get that emotion back?"

At first, she was stunned at this question. She soon smiled and nodded. It was a genuine smile, wanting to find the answer of this complicated emotion they called love.

A mermaid that was known as the Pearl Princess because of her purity; her love for others, was now heartbroken. She no longer thought she deserved the title, but...

_I'll bring that sparkle back in her eyes._

"Okay, then I'll make a new section just for you! It'll help you earn the respect for love back! Now... how does the Love Me Section sound to you?"


	3. Invitation to the Ball

_Italics** can either be thoughts or Kyoko using sign language. There are times when they are between quotation marks, as this is Sebastien translating.**_

_**Edited in 04/19/12: In this chapter, I accidentally said Kyoko wasn't talking for 2 years when it was actually 7 months... Darn, I stink when it comes to math...  
><strong>_

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><p><em>Love Me Section? What kind of ridiculous name is that? <em>_It's as if I'm begging people to love me! _thought Kyoko as she followed Sebastien around. He was giving her a tour of the building, as he was afraid that once she started work, she might get lost. And everyone knows that getting lost on the first day is embarrassing.

"And here's where the Love Me Section room is going be..." continued Sebastien. He looked worriedly at his mistress.

"Mistress, are you sure you want to agree to this? You're going to do work! Imagine! A lady having to lift her finger other than for a cup of tea!" he grumbled. "I can't accept this!" He gritted his teeth.

Kyoko motioned her hand frantically, trying to calm down her former butler. _Please don't worry about me, Sebastien! I was the one who agreed to it_, she signed to him.

A few moments ago, Kyoko was fine with texting. But... it was tiring when she wanted to talk long. She already knew how to do sign language as she couldn't talk for 7 months. It came in handy.

Sebastien sighed and patted lightly on her head. "But Mistress, I can't see why you must do these in order to love again. It makes no sense!"

_What did I tell you about calling me, Mistress? _She grunted and placed the key into the knob. She opened the door and look around. It looked like a normal room. Nothing wrong here.

"Sorry, Kyoko sama, I'm just so used to-"

She whipped her head and quickly sign, _And don't called me with -sama! People will suddenly know my status! I don't want to be known as the girl that paid the President just so I could get into his agency!_

"But Kyoko sa-"

_No -sama!_

He sighed, lowering his head. "Yes, Kyoko." He lowered his head even more, as he felt this to be disrespectful to his mistress.

_Sebastien? _She looked at him and smiled, placing her hand over her heart. _Don't look like that. As your former mistress, I am allowing you to call me by name. It's alright._

"But... to call my mistress..."

_I'm your _former _mistress. It's okay. You aren't my butler anymore._

That hurt Sebastien. He shook his head. "You'll always be my mistress! I'm not ashamed to have a mistress that can't speak! I'll always be your butler, even if you assigned me to another master or mistress!"

Kyoko turned to smile once more. _Thank you._

She rummaged around her pocket and took out a piece of paper. On it said her locker number and the lock's combo. As she fiddled around with the lock, she soon found it the most difficult thing to figure out. Why wasn't it working?

"Um... Kyoko?" She felt Sebastien behind her as he patted the lock down, resetting the lock. "Turn the lock three times, letting the arrow pass zero. After that, turn the spinner to those three numbers, always turning the opposite direction after the next, and..."

***Click!***

"... there you have it."

The lock unlocked, but that was an even more reason for her to be embarrassed. She never went to a human school, as she was royalty, and only learned what a princess should do. Those meaningless things like cooking or cleaning never seemed important. They always had someone else do it for them. However, Kyoko could do both. If it was anything beyond those two skills and how to act like a proper lady, she was clueless.

_Thank you_, she said again. She looked inside of the locker and both her and Sebastien gaped at the... monstrosity!

_No way... I have to wear... that?_

* * *

><p>"So, I hear that yesterday the President brought a sick puppy into the agency," said a man, drinking his coffee. He glanced at the head of the Talent Section, Sawara Takenori, who was sitting next to him. "What ever for?"<p>

Sawara san shrugged. "Who knows? When I heard of the rumour that she probably went in because of her money, it was hard to believe."

"Oh, so she's rich?" he sipped his coffee, sounding not interested. He was also rich, so hearing others with that status wasn't all that new, especially when you were a famous actor. Tsuruga Ren sighed, "I don't think the President was himself that day. If he was, he wouldn't have to agreed to let her be a part of our agency."

"Or maybe it's not the money? Remember when Koenji Erika insisted on using her money to gain what she wanted? She wasn't able to enter LME, so maybe this girl's case is different."

"Maybe, but I doubt it." Ren crunched the styrofoam cup and threw it into the waste basket. "Sebastien, President's loyal butler, one day calls a girl that charges into our building a _mistress._ Who knows the tricks she has up her sleeves?"

"You really hate this girl, don't you?" Sawara san leaned forward.

"No, I just don't like her," he beamed brightly.

_Isn't that the same thing?_

"For you to hate someone is really rare. After all, you take take professionalism stricter than our President," he explained.

Ren sighed. "I just don't want someone in LME to go around proudly to be a part of our agency just because she paid to get in. This is a _talent _agency, where you must have a talent that would impress our boss. Using money isn't a talent."

"On the contrary, Tsuruga san. Can you please repeat those words to Kyoko?" a voice angrily said in a calm voice behind him. Whipping his head, he saw Sebastien with his back straightened. Next to him was a girl with...

"W-wha...? What is with that outfit?" Sawara san screeched aloud. He looked at her, head to toe, and couldn't help but gape at the girl. She was wearing a bright pink jumpsuit, with a logo on her right chest and her back that said: Love Me Section—in L.M.E Production. The L in Love me was in a L shape using the thumb and index finger, as if to say, "loser" and the O was in a heart.

He then saw her moving her hands, while still looking at him. She gave a small smile, and bowed.

"What?" he looked at her, as she followed the same process again. "Are you... signing to me?"

She nodded.

"Kyoko says, _Nice to meet you two. My name is Kyoko. I heard your conversation, and I assure you, I'm not a rich young lady._"

She nodded again at this. She then continued to sign to the two.

"_Sebastien called me a mistress as that's what he called me when I was little. We always played a game where he was the butler and I was his lady. I guess that it kinda stuck to him._"

"Really? Is that what it is?" Ren stood and went to Kyoko, glaring at her. "And what business do you have here, exactly?"

"_I-_" She paused. What was she suppose to tell this man? She knew he was Tsuruga Ren, someone that Sho loathed the most. So what was she suppose to tell him? That she entered for revenge? If the President didn't like her motive, what were the chances this man would understand her pain?

Sebastien looked at Kyoko's frozen state. She seemed to be stuck in a ditch, not sure what to say to that. "Kyoko is here to experience which section she wants to be in," he explained for her, not wanting her to say more. "She doesn't know whether or not she wants to be in the Music, Talent, or Acting Section, so she agreed with the President that she does jobs that people request so she can experience them."

Ren didn't look convinced, but he didn't say no more. A man with oval spectacles came to him, saying that he had a job that he needed to attend to.

He left, but he still had a slight anger in the girl. What was she doing here? She said she wasn't rich, but that seemed highly unlikely with her straight posture. Maybe she was lying?

_Well, I just hope I don't see her again._

* * *

><p><em>Sebastien! Please, I think I can do my job without you translating for me!<em>

"But, how can people understand what you're saying?" He walked with her when she said she wanted to lie down on the stairs.

_Don't worry! I'll be fine! _She waved her hands. _After all, the President gave me a phone to use! If ever I need to say something, I'll just text!_

"Are you sure I should leave you? Since if you-"

_Really! If I ever get an offer, then I'd rather do it myself!_

"Okay..." He felt uneasy with this, but he reluctantly agreed. "Text me when you need help, okay?" He left, going to the screams of the employees of another Lory disaster. She giggled at this.

She would never had thought that Lory was helpful to her people, as he was more than extravagant than the tales she heard. She always thought they were kidding, that the story tellers just exaggerated his character so it would stuck in children's mind more. Of course, the real deal was always either a disappointment or a surprise.

And he was a surprise.

_I wonder what my first job would be like, _she wondered as she laid her head down. _And I wonder what who it's going to be with._

She cringed. _I _really _hope that it's not wit__h that casanova. How dare he say those things about me when he never even met me? What point is spending money just to get into an agency when I could show the President my talents?_

She sighed. _Although, I'm not entirely sure if my talents are at the human level. _She lifted up her head. _If it's beyond that level, then I don't want to draw more attention than I am now, as "The girl who paid herself in'". Ugh... _She moaned quietly in her head.

Suddenly, someone bumped her foot onto her back. But why did she feel like it was a kick?

"Oo~ps. I'm sooo sorry. I didn't know someone was there," someone said, a girl, with fake sincerity. "But then again, it's your own fault for sitting there."

_What?.! Are you blind? Just go around me! _But... Kyoko couldn't say anything without hurting her throat. Damn, not talking sucked.

"Oh? Is it that you can't talk? I heard the rumours of the legendary Love Me member, the first in LME, not being able to talk, but I thought that was a lie. I mean, who would go into a talent agency and expect her talent to be noticed if she can't speak?" she laughed manically.

_Oh brother. _

"But... maybe you can help me," She walked around Kyoko and went to the her level, smiling. Why did Kyoko feel like it was fake? "Since I have a job for you."


	4. Complaints From a Brat

_**I think I ruined Kyoko. Since she's a princess, she's not so lala about princesses anymore... GAH!**_

* * *

><p>In a cooped up trailer, with the blinds closed and the lights dimmed down, Kyoko sat silently as she rolled her eyes at Ruriko, the girl that bumped into her, was closing her eyes.<p>

"Oh, if Ruriko gets exposed to sunlight, her body turns weak," explained Ruriko's manager.

_Really? What kind of person gets weak from the Sun? She's probably weak since she doesn't eat that much, and she doesn't go out very often. That damn pale skin, how "princess-like". _Kyoko rolled her eyes at the thought. _Not._

Kyoko was a princess, but she didn't really care too much when it came to appearances. If her superiors told her, even if it was a suggestion, that she should have pale skin and become unreasonably skinny, she would gladly argue with them. What was the point of all of that? A princess should be healthy, not some skeleton with skin on it.

_Though, I have been told to eat less by my maids. Really, just because I'm a princess, doesn't mean I should be skinnier than everyone else._

"-gami san? Mogami san?"

She jerked back and saw the manager calling out to her. _Yes? _she signed, forgetting that no one besides Sebastien at the moment understood.

The manager picked it up, knowing she was asking what was the problem, and told her that the car broke down.

"WHAT!" yelled Ruriko."Why did this have to happen in this godforsaken place! This is ridiculous!" she protested loudly.

This only made Kyoko roll her eyes. _Great, _she thought, _my firs__t job happens to be with a spoiled brat. What's the worst that can happen now?_

"Well, Ruriko san, it appears you have to walk your way to the shooting location," explained her manager, feeling sorry for all of this. "Do you think you can do that?"

"WHAT? I have to _walk_? A star like me shouldn't walk!"

_You're kidding me, right? If you don't want to walk, then you'll go fat if you don't exercise. _Kyoko sighed loudly. _What are in magazines these days? It's been years since I read one that humans read, but I didn't think that it would influence girls _this _much._

"He~y! Girl!" cried Ruriko. "Why don't we walk to the set together?" she said slyly.

Kyoko had no idea that she was suppose to hold this umbrella, which was a heavy duty one rather than an ordinary one.

She had no idea that the girl would only walk for 5 minutes and then collapse.

She had no idea she would suddenly have carry her.

And... she had no idea that she would collapse herself, in the middle of the road, while Ruriko left her behind.

* * *

><p>"Where is that girl?" complained the woman playing as Ruriko's mother. "In this world, you must be early so you have time to fix any mistakes you might cause in the beginning! If she's not here, then I might as well leave!"<p>

"Now, now, Uri. We are doing this movie to let that girl's streak to say, "I quit!" to fade. If you quit also, you're not setting a good example, now are you?" Director Shingai said.

Uri sighed. "But seriously, we missed so many days that could have been spent for filming! All because her order of this special umbrella didn't come! An umbrella! We were held because of an umbrella!" she grumbled under her breath. "Does she ever think of anyone other than herself? Does she?"

"I agree with Uri," another co-star said, nodding, "as it does make one furious at how she thinks she is so high above us all. If she thinks that a late order for an umbrella would make us forgive her, she has other thing coming!"

There were more anger, as everyone began to wait for the girl.

Shingai san glanced at Ren, who was another co-star of Ruriko. "You would have thought the fact you said only Ruriko could do this role would make her hurry up."

"Yeah," sighed Ren. He glanced at his watch and looked at the door. Still no Ruriko. "I'm going to go check what's the hold up. Is that okay with you?"

The director also looked at his watch. He nodded. "Just don't go too far. I think a couple of our crew went fishing. If you do happen to see them, ask them to help you."

"Sure thing."

* * *

><p><em>...<em>

_Ruriko chan..._

_You forgot to tell them I was here, didn't you?_

On the abandoned road, where practically no one passes by, a girl was face down on the ground. She was hurt, couldn't move for some reason, and was sweating madly.

The poor mermaid, whose tail was now a pair of legs, was beginning to scorch to death in the death defying heat. She wasn't even lying. As a mermaid, the worst that can happen is when your body was hot. A mermaid should never have to pant when she should always be surrounded by water. But what about now?

_Damn... it's February yet it's so hot... or is it because I tired myself out?_

Kyoko started to sweat, perspiring more than usual. It was even worse than when she was carrying that pop singer diva, the one who, although seemed weak, was very heavy. With that and holding the heavy umbrella, Kyoko's legs couldn't hold it anymore. She was a mermaid, for Pete's sake! She wasn't born to have strength on her legs, and it was more with the tail.

_Oh... won't someone help me? _She couldn't text to Sebastien, as she had no idea where she was. Without the location, a text for help was useless.

_When I think about it, this isn't the first time someone abandoned me. Mother also hated me, and she would often go away from the kingdom just to avoid me. And... Sho... that hurt. I don't think he even knows I'm gone. _She closed her eyes, feeling the sweat heavy on her hair.

_Great... I'm going to die because of the heat. What an embarrassing way to die for a mermaid! If only someone would save me! Anyone! I don't care who it is! Just... HELP ME!_

"My... are you lazy or is it you can't move?"

Kyoko looked up to see a face she would rather not see. _Tsuruga Ren?.! Okay, I take it back! I DO care who saves me! Why did it have to be him! _She tried desperately to crawl away from him, but a jagged pain slammed her left ankle. _OW! This feels worse than that time I accidentally scraped myself for being too close to a descending anchor! _She slammed her fist onto the ground. _Gah! What would hitting the ground do? Oh no... am I having human reactions now? NOOO!_

"Wow, that girl's sweating so much! Is she sick?" a voice murmured.

"She looks like she's in pain," said someone who was behind Ren. He was holding a fishing pole, along with another man who held the same.

Instead of caring of her pain, she searched the men. They didn't seem to catch any fish. Good! _I have to give a signal soon to warn the fishes that there are fishermen._

"Of course she's in pain," explained Ren, "I think she fractured a bone."

_WHAT? How could this have happened? _Kyoko panicked. _Oh no... what happens if I get scolded by Sebastien for not taking care of myself? _(That's the least of your problems, Kyoko...)

She buried her face into her hands, too embarrassed for words. For a lady to injure herself... ugh!

"Well, we can't do anything if we just stand around. Let's just take her to the set." And in one fell swoop, Ren just scooped her in his arms. In a princess lift.

Yes, how ironic, isn't it? Doing a princess lift to a princess.

But Kyoko couldn't see the irony to this at all. She was just annoyed at what Ren was doing to her.

_What are you doing? Only princes should do that!_


	5. Hidden Anger

_**Just a little note: Kyoko doesn't have any grudge demons as she didn't confront Sho for his betrayal. With that in mind, she can't sense hate waves as strongly as she was in the manga.**_

* * *

><p><em>WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?<em> Kyoko signed frantically. She looked at him worriedly, but at the same time was just annoyed with him. What did he think he was, a prince? Oh sure, since you are Japan's #1 Bachelor and Actor, that means you can give girls a princess lift. It does not! (Actually, anyone can do a princess lift to anyone, Kyoko...)

She saw Ren sigh heavily as he began to set her down. "Look, I'm not Sebastien, so don't expect me to understand what you're saying." He looked at her ankle. "Does it still hurt?"

_I don't need you to worry about me! _she huffed. She turned around and pouted. What was wrong with him? Didn't he hate her before?

Well, her back towards him made him angry as he gruffed, "Fine, I see you don't need my help."

She never expected him to leave so suddenly. Did she really make him that angry?

_What? Why do I care if he's angry? He's the one who hated me before getting to know me!_ She shook her head, trying to shake that feeling off. _Oh... I think I'm getting too soft._

She was still in thought before a man came up to her. It was the same man that she saw with Ren. _Glasses san!_ He smiled and said, _Hello, my name is Yukhito Yashiro!_

She gasped. He knew sign language! She could communicate with him, she thought joyfully. They began to talk a little, how she was in the state she was in, and he was generous enough to wrap her ankle with a cloth.

_Thank you so much, Yashiro san!_, she signed happily. _So, you learned sign language in high school?_

_Yes. I had a friend who was deaf at the time and he was learning it. He didn't want to be alone, so I came along to learn with him. I'm glad I picked it up!_

_Yes, if you are ever around, you could be my translator, won't_ _you__?_ she asked. She tilted her head and clasped her hands, giving him her best twinkly eyes.

He laughed. "Yes, I'll gladly translate for you." He looked around and gave her a thick, old stick. "Here, use this as a cane. I think we should take you to a hospital before your ankle gets any worse."

_No! I can't do that! I was assigned a job to take care of Ruriko! I can't back out now!_

"Ruriko, you say?"

* * *

><p>"So she finally came?" Ren loosened up the cuff links on his sleeves. "About time. According to my manager, that girl I picked up is suppose to help her."<p>

"Really? But didn't you just find her on the street? Sure, just a couple steps on the hill and you can get to the set, but she was injured, wasn't she?" Director Shingai shook his head. "And to leave someone there in the heat when they're hurt! She could have told us to help."

Ren shrugged. "Maybe she didn't care what happened to that girl."

"Maybe, but it's still heartless of her, he mumbled. "She better give me a good performance... where is she anyway?"

"Dunno. I heard she was just walking around the place to see what kind of environment she was working at." Looking around, he saw numerous of the actors still waiting for their lead to come.

"Did you see that? She just apologized to the director! What about us?"

"Yeah, does she think she doesn't need to say sorry to us? Man, I hate that attitude of hers! Who does she think she is? We're part of the movie also, no matter how _small _she thinks our roles are!"

"Huh, maybe she wasn't taught her manners well."

"Well, well, look at all of that commotion! This has only been the first day, and everyone hates her!" laughed Shingai san.

* * *

><p><em>That girl... how dare she come with Ren in a princess lift! That face-splitting hyena! Who does she think she is? <em>Ruriko threw her wig on the floor. She already had her makeup done and her kimono was pink with cherry blossoms. But the cursed wig! It was making her start to sweat, and it messed up her hair!

She stormed loudly in the halls, until she saw that girl... that _hyena_!

She looked happy to see her, and she was hopping her way towards her. Ruriko looked down and saw that her ankle was covered with a white cloth. Was that how she made Ren hold her? Hmph, what a crazed fan! Her ankle probably doesn't even hurt!

Hopping some more, the girl waved happily towards her.

"I can't believe you!" she cried out. Ruriko gritted her teeth. "Do you think that if you help me, you'll stand in the spotlight?"

Kyoko stopped and tilted her head. _Huh? What does she mean? _She was signing with Yashiro san, who followed her to find Ruriko, but got only a shrug for a response.

"Do you not know what your section is for? All you do is clean and help others, then when you get enough points, you get your debut. I can't think of why someone like you should get the easy way into showbiz when all of us work hard to get our positions!"

Still confused, Kyoko bit her lips. She held her fist to her lips to think.

"Ugh! Do you _really _don't know?" Ruriko whirled around and shifted to grab something inside from her kimono. Then, she held out a box. On top of the box was pictures of stamps. "Don't you get it? If you get enough points, you get a debut!" She then paused. _Huh? This girl doesn't know about this? Then... _She gasped. _DAMN! I just told her! Now she'll ge__t full of herself and..._

"Hmph! What an idiot you are! You don't even know what your section is for!" she repeated, storming to the opposite direction. _What was up with that? Didn't the President tell her? He should have, as he gave everyone the stamps._

Kyoko stared at the furious Ruriko, but soon was cracking her knuckles.

"Uh! K-kyoko, what are you doing?" stuttered Yukhito. He saw her kindness forming into darkness, so very quickly, that he was surprised to see the same person.

_A lady must never let someone get the upper hand in a conversation,_ her mother always said. _If it is with another lady, you must always try to be on top. If it is with a commoner..._

_Then teach them what happens when you anger royalty._

* * *

><p>"ARRRRGHH! PUT ME DOWN, PUT ME DOWN!" the spoiled "princess" cried out. She was being carried by Ren's manager and a Love Me member! What was with that weird combo? Still hopping, the girl carried Ruriko's legs while Yukhito held her arms, preventing her from struggling. Kyoko managed to find a wig on the way, and assumed of picking it up.<p>

When they finally obeyed, she saw she was at the set. Except... no one was looking for her?.! Everyone seemed relaxed, especially the director in particular. He was sitting on one of the set's couches, sipping a cup of tea!

"Ah... Ruriko. There you are!" the Director came to the two that lunged Ruriko into the set. "I was worried what was going to happen if she went missing," he happily said.

_You don't look worried_, thought Kyoko. She looked over to Ren and saw him murmur.

"_Who didn't hose spit, purple girl?_" she signed, and Yukhito translated to Ren.

Ren was, at first, surprised that his manager knew what she was saying, but went back to repeating his statement. "Nooo... I said, "You didn't go to the hospital, turtle girl.""

_How dare you! _she screamed at the top of her head. _I can walk just fine as long as I don't put weight on my ank-_

She then felt a tiny push, but it was enough to make her fall. When she turned to see who did it... did she even need to turn to know? Of course it was _her_ that did it.

"I can't believe you! That's not a _real _injury, is it? I bet you fell at the hill on purpose _just _so Ren would take care of you!"

_Damn... how dumb can you be? I didn't even _know _that he was going to be here. If anything, I wouldn't have taken this job if I knew he was here. _

She paused.

_Kyoko, never ever let people see you down on your knees. I don't care if you were forced to, or you were pushed. That brings shame to our family._

_I can't be on my knees... _Kyoko began to stand up, struggling as her knees wobbled. She gradually pushed herself up, with the help of the cane and the director.

"Can you stand?" he asked gently.

She nodded. _A lady must never be seen on her knees. I was, but no one must ever know that I'm a lady. It would bring shame to Mother..._

The director turned to Ruriko. "Ruriko, apologize." He gave her a stern look. "Can't you see she's actually hurt?"

Ruriko froze. She looked around, and saw that everyone was on that girl's side! _What... what the!_

She hmphed and went away yet again.

Shingai san sighed. "Great... now another person has to find her." He took attention to the girl holding his hand. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

She nodded, but sighed.

_Why... is my first Love Me job so hard?_

* * *

><p>"Miss, would you like to take a seat?" Ren asked, holding a foldable chair.<p>

_What? Weren't you angry at me before? _She hmphed. She didn't want this man's kindness. No, what use would it do?

"You don't accept? I'm being considerate since you're injured."

She blinked, before looking at him. _What? Do humans really do that? _She scratched her head, unsure what to think of this. _I thought everything was because of status. When I was hurt, people would come rushing to help me. But for the commoners... _She lowered her eyelids, gripping her hands tightly. _I hate those doctors. As long as they have money, they would help. They won't even lift a finger to help the poor._ _Damn... I won't forgive them! So many of my friends were killed because of them!_

***Flashback***

_"You! You're the princess, aren't you? Please, help us!"_

_And elderly woman held a baby in her arms, his tail was split into two. It was a deep wound. _

_Kyoko gasped, holding the baby. "How did this happen?"_

_"Who cares how did this happen? Just... contact someone to help! I can't do it myself, or the doctor won't accept it. Please," the woman bent down to the ocean floor into a dogeza, "I beg of you!"_

***End of Flashback***

_That was the only life I could save. After they found out what was going on, they refused to help other people._

_I don't want to accept someone else's kindness._ Kyoko stepped away from Ren. Ren noticed this, and was surprised to see her looking at him with something other than anger. _I can't... I don't deserve it._


	6. A Resting Battle

_Oh my god..._ Kyoko rolled her eyes for... the millionth time? And no, this wasn't an exaggeration. It wasn't some hyperbole to say how annoyed she was. But then again... who wouldn't roll their eyes when they saw...

A fly buzzing around.

Ren saw this and couldn't help but laugh at this. He found it cute, as she seemed so interested at watching the fly flying around that she wasn't listening to Ruriko's ranting.

"Are you kidding! All I have to do is walk into the room and say my lines! What else do you need me to do?" she shouted at the director. Wow... she had guts for yelling at him so honestly.

"You'll do it as many times as I say you should," he replied. He leaned on his chair, folding his legs. "You're suppose to walk and talk as if you are a rich young lady. I want you to portray this."

"That's what I'm doing!" She stamped her foot.

"No, you're only acting like yourself, and walking around in a kimono." This made Ruriko grit her teeth. "Now, start over again. Straighten your back, tuck your chin slightly, and-"

"FORGET IT! You're never going to give an OK to what I'm doing!"

_Sigh... this is getting bad. _Ren couldn't help but think of this. She was going to yell her popular line again, there was no doubt about it. _How are we suppose to make her stop?_

He looked over at the girl, and saw her swatting the fly as it flew above her. He suddenly saw her give up, and saw a lady in front of him. She stood up straight, with the exception of her ankle slightly above the ground, and she placed the cane in front of her. She seemed to be a rich young lady.

_I remember her denying herself to be a mistress. Could she have been lying?_

"You hate me, is that it?" Ren looked back and saw Ruriko still yelling at the director. "I'm a novice, so stop raising the bar of your expectation for me. I'm not a professional!" She sucked some air before yelling, "I QUIT!"

Those words shot Kyoko's brain. _Quit... _She looked at Ruriko, and a blend of someone she knew was shadowing Ruriko.

_"I quit! You're never going to accept me! Don't think that just because you're a princess that that means you can think you can say no to everything I do!" a man shouted, annoyed at her. She closed her eyes, and began to walk around him. He grabbed her in time, and growled, "Is it because you hate me? Fine, see if I care!"  
><em>

_No... not again! _Kyoko bit her lips and shivered.

"I'm an amateur. Since you only want one to act this role, why don't you ask her?" she pointed at Kyoko. "She'll do anything for points!"

_Yes, make them feel troubled. With me not around, they can't do this movie. They'll coming begging on their knees for forgiveness! Then maybe... just maybe..._

_I'll reconsider!_

***SLAP!***

A slight sting formed on Ruriko's cheek, as she saw Kyoko's mad eyes. She growled, "I have had enough of you, missy. If you think you'll get your way if you complain, you got another thing coming!"

_What? _Ruriko stared at her. _She couldn't talk before! _

"How _dare _you yell at a director! Have you no shame when it comes to status? Directors are the top of the pyramid; you should know that! If you think you're so high above everyone else, then I'll accept your challenge!" She shrugged her shoulders. "Though, you're going to lose anyway."

"What?" Ruriko shrieked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." _Man, I didn't want to reveal so quickly, but, _"do you really believe you can beat me when I'm a rich young lady?"

* * *

><p>"Wow... that girl took the words out of my mouth!" The cameraman couldn't help but applaud to her bravery. "I wanted to say those things in front of her, but I never got the courage to do so!"<p>

"Same. I couldn't believe it when she suddenly talked. She kept using sign language to talk before, so to hear her talking... that was amazing."

"I hope she wins this battle! Having her around would be better than you-know-who!"

Not taking it anymore, Ruriko went to the other hallway. She had just about enough of these compliments on that girl. _I can't believe her! One moment, she can't talk; the next, she opens her mouth and claims to be a lady! That's just ridiculous! Someone who wears that hideous couture can't possibly be one!_

She gasped. _Then again, if what she says is true, I might lose this job. I'll be known as someone who got beaten by a newcomer! No!_

"Grr... I can't accept this!"

* * *

><p>"Director... are you sure you want those two to compete for Choko's role?" Ren asked. Choko was the "rich young lady" that the director kept scolding Ruriko to understand. But... now someone else came into the picture, insisting to Ruriko that she could do a better job.<p>

Shingai san nodded, laughing a little at what was happening. "Sure, things between actor and director happen all the time. If there's some disagreements here and there, then it's no surprise if someone has to step down from their role."

"But during the production conference, it was publicly announced that Ruriko was going to play Choko. Besides, this was all suppose to help Ruriko to stop... you know."

"Well, since Ruriko already said she wanted quit, then let her see what she got herself into. Besides, I need some entertainment now and then. A battle is just what I need for a slow filming day." He stretched his arms and folded them behind his head. He looked at Ren. "Neh, the girl should be done her makeup by now. Do you want to help her go to the set?"

Ren sighed. "Really? Why are you so calm about this whole thing?" he said, walking with the director to the room where the makeup artist was. "It doesn't seem fair for someone with the same class as the character to compete with someone who isn't, don't you think?"

"Ah... is that what you think? Who knows, maybe she could teach Ruriko what she's suppose to do."

_Is that what you're doing? _thought Ren. Suddenly, he gasped. "Hey, you aren't using her, are you?" He whipped his head, but saw the ghost form of the director. _Where did he go?_

"Wow, Kyoko chan! You look great!" exclaimed Shingai, who was already at the room.

When Ren suddenly went over to see what the commotion was, he saw someone who... was that really the girl he carried to the location shoot? He barely recognized her!

She had her long black hair brushed to the back and tied up loosely with a ribbon. She had light makeup, but that was enough to highlight her skin. Unlike Ruriko, where she had her pale skin to be admired of, you couldn't help but admire Kyoko even more. She gave off the grace of what she claimed to be. With a burgundy kimono with light yellow camellias blooming on the fabric, she was... beautiful.

"Th-thank you," she croaked, closing her eyes and rubbing her throat.

This surprised Ren. "Could it be you really can't speak?" He was sure when he saw her yell at Ruriko, that that meant she could use her throat just fine. Now he was having his doubts.

"Yes," she weakly said. She coughed, still clutching her throat. The makeup artist gave her a water bottle with a straw inside so she wouldn't accidentally spill the water onto her makeup. "It's been a while since I talked." She drank the water, wincing as the water going down her throat. _Damn... even water, something that I love, hurts._

"But Kyoko chan, in this role, you have to talk. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" worried the director. "Since if you really can't talk, then maybe I could improvise the script for you..."

Kyoko shook her head at this. "No, it's okay." She smiled to herself. "Like I said, it's been a while since I talked."

* * *

><p>"Wow, is this really the girl in that pink suit? She looks so... different!"<p>

Ruriko perked her ears at this. How different could that hyena be? She was just a plain girl, after all. Maybe the makeup artist couldn't even help her, making her even more uglier than she was before. Ruriko laughed at this silently.

_Now this, I have got to see! _

She looked at the door, to see Ren guiding Kyoko. She looked relaxed, as if she was always guided to place to place ever since she was a child. Like everyone said, she _did _look different.

"Hmph! What, are you kidding yourself? With a little bit of makeup, anyone could look pretty. Compared to your usual self, you have a total different transformation!" Ruriko retorted, folding her arms. She, however, didn't think she would get an... odd response?

The girl was back to sign language. She motioned Yashiro san to translate for her. He nodded, and even laughed at what she "said" to him.

"She says thanks to the comment. She says you must think of her as Cinderella, since Cinderella also was transformed. The makeup artist was her fairy godmother, and you were the mean step mother. It's thanks to you that she'll have the role, her "happily ever after"." Yashiro chuckled again.

_What the... me, compared to an old lady in a fairy tale? _"What the... how dare you say that to me! And why are you back to signing! You can talk, so use your voice! Otherwise, your mouth is no use to you, and it's just a decoration!"

_Eh? But I eat with this mouth, _signed Kyoko, tilting her head.

Everyone sweated at this. Just _what _kind of response was _that_? Sure, it was common sense, but... surely no one would reply to someone like that.

"Okay, since Ruriko has done this scene already, let's give Kyoko a chance," the director clasped his hands together. He smiled at the girl, and nodded to her. "I expect an excellence performance from you, Kyoko chan."

She nodded at this, and went to the person who was giving her the script to read.

_I've acted many times in the past with Moko san and Chiori, _Kyoko thought, scanning the page. _It doesn't matter to me if there's a camera or a lot of people watching me. I'll do my best!_

"Alright... ACTION!"

_**[**The scene started with a woman talking to Choko's mother. A guest, who claimed that her uncle saw Choko walking around, said that her uncle wouldn't be wrong with his claims._

_"What, are you sure it was Choko? Surely he must be wrong!" the mother refused strongly at the claim. "She would never!" _

_The subject of the topic walked in, calmly disrupting the conversation. "Oh? Mother, were you talking about me?" She then noticed a familiar face and smiled. "Ah, Midori oneesan." She bowed elegantly. "It's been a while."**]**_

Everyone stood still, amazed at what they just saw. Kyoko walked, or was it glided?, across the room at that scene, unlike Ruriko. And she improvised, and bowed. Although it wasn't part of the script, it fitted it just fine.

They suddenly were brought to their senses when Kyoko coughed violently.

"Kyoko chan? Are you okay?" Yashiro went over and patted her back. She weakly nodded, and the bottle she drank before was sent back to her.

Ruriko, however, began to pout. "How does it feel?" She glared at Kyoko with cold eyes. "Everyone were concerned for you before because of your ankle, but now they're even more because of you told them who you were. You're despicable!"

Kyoko sighed. She pointed at herself, then made her hand into a straight line. She looked like she was making an airplane when she made her hand fly past her mouth to the corner.

"She said that she lied," Yashiro san said. He looked at Kyoko, who touched her chin with her thumb. She flicked it at Ruriko and pointed at her, then tapped her own head. "And asking that don't you know?"

"What?" Ruriko blinked at this. "You... why did you lie?"

"Can't you see? If an ordinary girl can do this, then you can also," Kyoko said, still struggling with her voice. "Did you feel like you were going to lose to me when I lied to you?"

Ruriko paused to think of this. Yeah, she did think she was going to lose. She wanted to fight for her role, even when she knew it was impossible.

Seeing this, Kyoko smiled. "Do you see? Saying, "I quit!" isn't going to solve anything." She walked toward Ruriko, patting her shoulder. "Since if you do that, you're not telling everyone your real personality."

_Huh? _Ruriko lifted her head and saw Kyoko's grin. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, in truth, you are a fighter. I saw that in your eyes when I saw you determined to not lose. You won't give up, even when someone tells you to, or when they say that it's impossible for you to be better than them. "That's a lie!" you might say, "I can if you give me one more chance!" Am I right?"

Ruriko gasped.

***Flashback***

_"Ruriko chan!" her manager cried out. She was surprised to see her charge turning red, sweating even. She seemed to have a hard time breathing. "Please, stop! It'll hurt your throat! Maybe let's wait for you to get better and-"_

_"No! That would hold up the album! Please," Ruriko bowed down to the producer, who seemed unsure to see her like this. "Please," she repeated, "let me sing some more!"_

***End of Flashback***

_That's right... that was when I was still a newcomer. No one knew who I was, but I still wanted people to hear my voice. I wanted them to hear how much I love singing. How... how did these feelings fade? What..._ Ruriko widened her eyes, and shivered. _... have I become?_

A small pat was on her head. She looked up, and saw that hyena... no... Kyoko still smiling at her. "You understand, right? If you keep saying that you want to quit, then you're willingly giving up the battle. If you think giving up a battle will make people want to fight for you your way, you're wrong. That's not how the world works. They would fail to see you as a comrade."

Ruriko smirked at this. "What is with these analogies?" She laughed out loud, tears falling out of her eyes. "Oh, you're hard to get angry at!"

This version of Ruriko wasn't expected. In fact, did she really knew how to laugh that didn't involve cackling like a self-centered witch?

"Ah... can you still be around to give me tips?" asked Ruriko, wiping her tears. "Just in case I throw a tantrum again."

Kyoko nodded. "Sure, I'll be glad to."

* * *

><p><em><strong>In sign language and note:<strong>_

_**I/Me- point at yourself, either by finger or hand, and either with both or one  
><strong>_

_**Lie- **There are actually a lot of ways to sign the word lie. But they all are in the airplane motion._

_ **Version 1- Make your hand straight and let it "fly" across your lips**_

_**Version 2- Make your finger straight and let it "fly" across your lips**_

_**Version 3- Make your hand straight and "fly" below your chin and back up again**_

_**Don't/Not- Touch your chin with your thumb and flick it**_

_**You- point at the person you are referring to**_

_**Know/Think- Tap your head either once or twice, but no more than that**_

_**The same sign can mean different meanings.  
><strong>_


	7. Determination on the Scene

_**Again, if Kyoko's speech is in italics and there's quotations around them, this means someone is translating her sign language. And just a heads up, Kyoko isn't doing Japanese Sign Language. She is doing the American Sign Language as well as Yukhito.  
><strong>_

_**I made another vid again and it's ShoxKyoko! I never thought I would do it... Anyway, it's called "Skip Beat!-Is It True?". My Youtube account is the same as this one.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>"Is this how you do it, Kyoko chan?" asked Ruriko, who was whisking the green powder in the cup of boiling water. She waited for her response, but saw Kyoko shake her head, slowly.<p>

"_Just a little bit more; it's not frothy_ _enough_", she signed, with Yashiro translating for her.

"Eh? But it looks- oh..." Ruriko saw what the problem was. Some of the powder was floating at the top, making the tea look like a small swamp. "AH! I can't believe it went like this!"

The instructor laughed at this, along with the rest of the crew. Although Ruriko was difficult before, she seemed easier to get along now that Kyoko calmed her down with common sense.

She still was determined to do well, but there were times when she would accidentally get angry. She would then be scolded by Kyoko, who used her voice. This made Ruriko soon felt bad for making her talk, but with that sympathy, it kept Ruriko in check from doing any more of those tantrums.

"Hey, can you show me how to do this? I'm not too concerned on the tea, since I did it once when I was a child, but I can't fold the napkin perfectly. It's always..." She pointed at the rejected pile that she called a "napkin". It was wrinkled rather than folded, but it did look like she tried her hardest.

Kyoko giggled, "Oh, sure!"

As she went over, Ren and the director both were still stunned at what she did to Ruriko. From spoiled brat to apologizing girl. There was too much a transformation for anyone to believe if they ever saw it.

Actually, Kyoko's transformation might have been up to par. To suddenly go from the rejected plain girl on the street to a beautiful lady in a kimono seemed impossible! Maybe her beauty was hidden inside all along?

Ren was watching her making folding an art, and soon couldn't help but be sucked into it. He soon felt like everyone around him never existed, and only he and her were in the world. He could have continued to felt this way, but he was called out from the director, snapping him out. Reality flew back in his eyes, and he saw the director laughing at him.

"Ren? Were you sucked in, too? Comrade," He grabbed Ren's hands and gave them a small slap, "it's hard not to. She wasn't even suppose to stay for long, and it almost seems like she's one of us. The "challenge" is still going on, and we're giving Kyoko chan the first take of every scene so Ruriko has the determination to beat her. Although it's wasting filming," he shrugged, "Ruriko wasted it already for being late and stubborn at the beginning."

"Ah," Ren watched Kyoko smile, and he almost wished for her to smile to him. But because of their rocky start, that won't be happening anytime soon.

"Kyoko chan! This is our last scene of the day! Do you think you can handle it?" Director Shingai shouted out to her, who finished teaching Ruriko the simple procedures of folding. "You have to be in the kneeling position for the tea ceremony." He paused. "Then again," He waved his hand, "don't do it. It would injure your ankle more than it already has. And walking in the first scene made you have to redo your cloth..."

She sweated, still smiling. "_Ah, don't worry about me. You said this was the last, right? If it's for ten minutes or so, I can last!_"

"Are you sure? You have to talk more than just a hello. I don't want you to strain your voice again."

"_Nah, don't worry! A last scene means it'll be over quickly!_"

Looks like no one was stopping this girl. She seemed determined to do a good job, that she might overdo it. If that was possible!

"Okay... Ruriko, watch carefully at her. Kyoko, are you rea... dy?" He looked at her, who was bending over strangely. She attempted to bend even lower, but winced at the pain, or was scared of putting weight on her ankle.

She looked at Ren, looked down, and murmured, "I'll be ready when he yells, "Action!", so stop looking like that," she whispered.

Ren, who looked worried at what she was doing, was stunned at her.

She spoke to him.

She, who usually signed to him, finally spoke to him.

A warmth in his chest blossomed, and he couldn't help smiling. _Ah... so she doesn't hate me as I thought she did._

Kyoko was thinking of the same, as she was surprised that he would even care that she was hurt. Sure, he said he was, but she thought it was because you _had _to worry for the injured. But his constant care for her didn't seem like he was forcing himself to be nice to her. It was actually... nice that someone was like this. Someone who didn't do it for money, or for a recommendation by the palace so he'll be famous.

He did it since he cared.

They both smiled.

Kyoko was finally sitting when the director yelled, "Action!", just like she said, and the smile she had when she was looking down was directed at the person who caused it. Really, what was this feeling that made her feel so warm?

**[**_Another guest went into her household, and she was the one that was suppose to perform the tea ceremony to welcome him, start a conversation to make him comfortable, and report back to her mother._

_Choko took a tiny spoonful of the green powder, dropping it into the ceramic cup that she picked out specifically for this ceremony. She grabbed the kettle, which whistled and signaled to her that the water was at a boil, and she poured it into the cup. Whisking it to incorporated all of the ingredients, she used her folded napkin and wiped the corners, if case there were any spills._

_It was only then that she handed the cup to her guest, Kiichi._

_Kiichi bowed his head, and took the cup. He swirled the cup, and looked at it, inspecting whether she_ did _mi_x_ed it evenly. After all, she was young. Who knows what might happen if he had an unevenly mixed tea. Seeing it alright, he gave a sip._

_A little bitter, but he was the one that commented to her mother that he disliked his tea sweet. Choko seemed to got the message._

_"This morning, I went there," he said, taking another sip of his tea. "The sound of wind there really does sound like bells, doesn't it?"_

_"Yes, it probably does.."_**]**

Kyoko glanced up and saw Ren still drinking, but saw a glare piercing her. She gasped.

Ren wiped his lip. "Oh, haven't you been there?"

"N-no!" she stuttered.

Knowing her mistake, she groaned inside her head. _Damn! I was suppose to say it calmly with loneliness. After, who wouldn't feel that way when she never went to a room in her own house?_

"No, not at all," she replied.

_Oh good, that was a little better._

_**[**He set his cup down, and took a long pause before asking, "Is there a reason?"_

_She gasped, but kept her composure, not wanting him to know the truth. "Well, when I was little, I was told not to go near the cape." She grabbed his cup._

_He continued to be skeptical. Was that really? _I might as well see.

_He looked over at the distance. As expected, she looked too, curious of what he was looking at._

_"Rings of the bells..." he murmured._

_She continued to search what he was talking about. _Bells? Are there really bells?

_"Are you afraid that you might be enticed of the bells?" he asked, waiting for her reaction._

_She reacted just as planned, as she whirled to look at him, accidentally dropping the cup. She widened her eyes in surprise.__ How did he know?.!**]**_

"How... is it that she's able act so well? Is this really her first time?" wondered Ruriko aloud. She watched as her new friend was acting alongside a top actor, and couldn't help wondering why the chemistry seemed to fit so well. If Kyoko had Choko's role, no one would assume that her acting was terrible. In fact, it actually would just make one think this was secretly taped, as it didn't look like she was overacting or underacting.

The director answered, "Ren is bringing all of the act according to how he wants it. Since he's acting serious with her, he is able to give both her and him a great performance." He looked at Ruriko, sighing. "Could you be able to do that? In the beginning, you were always whining. It's because of that that your co-stars refused to give their best. Who would, if not everyone was doing their best?"

Ruriko sweated, embarrassed at her behaviour from before. "Ah... sorry about that."

"No, at least you know where you went wrong." He looked back at the set. "Huh? What the...!"

Ren was still going over the lines, but it seemed like it was too late when he looked back. Kyoko was sweating badly, maybe even more badly than when he first found her. She shook, shivering, and her eyes were unfocused.

"Kyoko chan!" the director cried out. "Stop! You don't have to do it anymore!"

She disobeyed, and still stayed put. A lady, no matter who the guest was, poor or rich, was suppose to entertain the guest till the end. It made no difference if she hated him. She had to keep up her image. She had to do it till the end, or everything would be in vain. The guest must like it and think, "Hey, this was worth the visit."

_I can't... not yet..._

"Kyoko chan! Can you hear me? Please, you can stop now!"

_No... I can't... I... _"The guest is still here." She tightened her fists. "Until the guest leaves, then I can't leave this spot."

"What?" Shingai san couldn't believe what he was hearing. _The guest? Was she delusional? What gue- Oh! _"Ren!" He turned. "Get off the set! Quickly!"

He did, and Kyoko immediately became unconscious after she fell.

* * *

><p>"I'm so sorry, Kyoko chan!" Ruriko bowed down, regretting what she just did. "It's because I don't know how to act like a Japanese lady that this happened to you!" she cried out.<p>

Kyoko shook her hand, trying to calm her down. "It's okay!" she croaked, still stretching out the words. She rubbed her throat, but still continued even when Ruriko insisted on getting Yukhito to come. "You needed an example, and I gave it to you. I'm glad I was able to help you."

This still didn't make Ruriko feel any better. "But... your fractured bone is now with a big crack!"

"So? Bones heal, don't they?" she asked, giving her a warm smile. "And you apologized. I don't need a second one when the first meant a lot already."

"O-okay..." Ruriko sighed. "How am I suppose to compete against _that_? You should have the role of Choko, not me."

"No, don't worry. You'll understand how to do it, I guarantee it." She gave her a thumbs up. "I know you can do it. Just... don't say you want to quit because of Director Shingai's harshness, okay?" she joked.

The singer laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. She grinned and shook her head. "Don't worry. Your help is enough to stop me from doing that. If that does happen again, I'll remember this day and I'll try not to repeat it."

"That's good," Kyoko coughed, reaching for a bottle. She grabbed it, but stopped to examine the cap. "Oh... my bottle isn't here."

"Uh... oh! Don't worry!" Ruriko waved her hands frantically. "You can drink mine, since I made you talk too much."

Nodding, she loosened the cap and relished the water as it swam down her throat. She smiled, and set the bottle down.

"Well, I'll be off. I'll see you again?" she asked, wondering if she was ever going to see this girl again. From brat to friend, she was hoping to see the changes. Wonder what she's going to be like the next time she saw her?

"Yes, I'll be around!" Ruriko waved after she helped Kyoko stand up.

_Oh... I never talked so long in a day before. How long before my throat doesn't hurt? _wondered Kyoko, as she walked down the hall. _And I wasn't even whispering, so I think I just made it worst... _She paused. _Then again, I heard that whispering isn't the way for a fast recovery of a lost voice._

She walked a little before seeing a masked stranger. No, he wasn't handsome for all she knew. He was literally covered head to toe. He was wearing a cough mask, so maybe he was sick?

"Excuse me, I saw you at the set of Ring Doh, and I was wondering what you were doing there? There were times when Ruriko was doing the same thing as you in the scene. It was as if you were showing her how to do it..."

_Uh oh! If word got out that I was helping Ruriko, and that we had the challenge, would that make her a hopeless case? That she needed someone to show her how to do every scene?_

Instead of responding, she just looked at him strangely. She hoped that this might creep him out. When he remained motionless, she began to sign to him.

_Might as well sign random things to him, just to make him feel awkward. Squash, rock, bike, green pepper, a tree on the ground..._

The man continued to look at this, until he finally got the message. "Ah... you can't speak? And you have a cast... were you hurt?"

She sighed with exasperation. _What is wrong with humans? _Are you hurt, _is what you say when you aren't sure. __If I wasn't hurt, I wouldn't be wearing a cast and walking around with a cane!_

She was about to sign more random stuff just to make him leave when a hand went on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, could it be that you're from Boots Magazine?" This was Ren. As much as she disliked him, she was glad he rescued her from total awkwardness from the stranger.

The man nodded, feeling a little warm underneath all of his clothing. "Y-yes, I am?" He said it in a form of a question, as if he wasn't even sure!

"Ah, could it be that you were taking pictures in a _closed _set? That won't do," Ren tsked. Suddenly, the man's camera was in his hands, even his notes. Where were they, and how did he suddenly get them?

The reporter was thinking the same thing as he patted his pockets and opened his bag to check if what he was holding really _was _his. Sure enough, Ren was holding the real deal.

"I'm sorry, I have to ask you to leave. You can't post any of what you _may _think of this day. Even if you did remember, I doubt anyone who reads it would believe you without any proof." Ren fiddled around the camera, pressing some buttons, and handed it back. "There, I deleted them. Now don't think of writing a story about this girl."

"I-i won't!" stammered the frightened reporter. He scrambled off, quite like a scared cat, and dashed off to the nearest exit. There was _no way _he was going to pick a fight with Tsuruga Ren!

"Thank you," she bowed, blowing out a sigh of relief. "I didn't think I would brush him off. I never had that happen to me."

"Well, it'll happen a lot if you do plan on staying in this industry."

"... Ah." She looked around and saw the room she was suppose to go. "Well, thanks again."

And she was gone.

* * *

><p>She sat near the door of the hotel as she waited for Sebastien to pick her up. She was sipping lemon tea with honey, but her throat still felt raspy. So maybe the myth about tea and honey was a lie? Ugh, she just wanted to be able to talk.<p>

_Or maybe when Mother said that I can't sing, she meant I can't talk either? _She thought for a moment before dismissing it. _Nah... she gave me my voice back when I asked to come back as a mermaid, and she gave me legs again when she took my "singing" voice. _Kyoko winced as she laid her head on the table. _I can't sing? But I love to sing. It's what I love in the whole wide world._

Kyoko ordered a strawberry cheesecake, and when it finally came to her table, she saw Ren and Yukhito walking towards her.

"Hey, is it today that you're leaving?" asked Ren. He took a seat, same with Yukhito, and ordered a simple sandwich.

_Yes, I am, _she signed. She looked at Yukhito, who was translating for her. _My job here is done. Ruriko gave me a stamp, so that's the end._

"Really? She must have gave you a stamp since she didn't want you hurting yourself. Hey..." He glared at her. "Hasn't anyone told you you can't eat anything sweet when you lose your voice? It's a wonder that you talked normally when we were shooting the scenes." He grabbed the cheesecake, but he didn't look like he was going to eat it for her.

_Really? Maybe that's why it hasn't healed for all of those years..._

Yukhito didn't even start translating before Ren replied, "Of course that's why it hasn't healed. You also can't eat anything spicy if you want to heal it. Just avoid those and you'll be fine."

She stared at this, but was able to get away from him when she heard a honk. She looked out the window to see Sebastien in a yellow taxi. He was the one driving it.

_Ah... I have to leave now. Bye... Ren._

She walked out, but she soon was frustrated at what she learned. She made a fool out of herself when she kept making Yukhito translate for her when he could understand every word she signed!

* * *

><p>"Ren... you slipped."<p>

"I know," groaned Ren. He slid her cheesecake to Yukhito and saw him eat ravenously. He was, after all, hungry to the point he might eat a horse. When his sandwich came, Ren took a small bite before saying, "I can't believe I forgot what "Ren" is suppose to be like. He can't understand sign language, yet I blew that one!" He groaned some more.

Yukhito laughed. "Well, it's been 5 years since you even done it, and we never would have thought to see a Japanese girl doing _American _sign language."

"That's what surprised me. If she was doing Japanese sign language, then I wouldn't have slipped like that."

"I understand. Ren is a character that the President made to hide the fact who you are. And Ren..." Yukhito looked at Ren, and saw the tiny piece of metal in his ear. It was so small, that it almost would be dismissed if you didn't look at it closely.

"Ren isn't suppose to be known to be deaf," Ren finished, brushing his hair to the side, revealing his hearing aid to his manager.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ah... This came to a question when I posted this chapter. No, Ren isn't COMPLETELY deaf. If he was, a hearing aid is useless. You would only use a hearing aid if you are having troubles with listening. (Or you're the type of person that loves to eavesdrop or you want to watch TV with the volume down...) It's just that no one says, "I'm partially deaf" or "I'm semi-deaf". It would be weird if the last sentence was, "Ren isn't suppose to known to be sorta deaf.". That just sounds weird.<strong>_


	8. Memories of the Past

**_When you see the words in the story in bold and in italics at the same time, Kyoko is writing something. This type won't happen as often, as Kyoko is eventually going to heal her throat throughout this fanfic._**

* * *

><p><strong>RenKuon's POV**

In a world where everyone is born to be "normal", losing something everyone is suppose to have makes you the abnormal one.

If you're blind, people try to help you, or they pity you. But do they really want to help you? Are they really doing this since they _want _to help, not to satisfy the fact they helped a "helpless" person?

If you're unable to walk, you are in a wheelchair. There is someone who strolls you along, and everyone looks at you oddly as all of them can walk on their own two legs.

If you can't talk, people can't communicate with you. You can write down what you want to say, but it takes too long. You can do sign language, but not everyone knows it.

If you're deaf, you can't hear anything. They might give you a hearing aid, but it won't replace what you might be able to hear if you weren't in this situation. A hearing aid doesn't mean you can hear everything. It doesn't solve it. There are times when the hearing aid can't pick up something, and you are left with reading lips. When you do that, there are times when someone is speaking too fast for you to pick up.

That is when you realize that you could never be "normal".

You can't be with this group of people, the Normals. You would always be an Abnormal.

I always thought that, as everyone seemed like a bunch of people mouthing their words. It was soon that I realized that I couldn't hear them. Sometimes, they seemed to be garbling their words. Soon, I heard very little, taking tests to improve my hearing, but it would never be the same as a regular person should have.

Was I being punished?

Did God do this to me because I shouldn't be happy?

I don't know, but maybe it was true. Maybe I don't deserve happiness.

***Flashback***

_"Are you okay with this, Kuon?" Yukhito asked, looking at the tall building that they were planning to enter. "You don't have to do this alone. In fact, you don't even have to do it at all!" He clasped his hands together. "PLEASE don't go to this school! Ignore what everyone's saying about you!"_

_"How? I'm a deaf guy who reads lips!" he shouted, not purposely though. He couldn't hear himself, and he didn't even know he was shouting. "And if everyone talks to me all at once, I'm lost of what they're saying. I can never get what the joke is if everyone is laughing. I can never tell what the teacher is saying if I'm at the back of the room. I can never be normal!"_

_His friend shook his head. "But... being deaf doesn't mean you're not normal. What would Rick say if he knew you were thinking of transferring schools?"_

_"He would be glad I wouldn't be sad anymore."_

_"Nooo, he would come find you and make you realize you_ are _normal."_

_Kuon glanced at his friend and walked away from the building, deciding to cross the street. He grunted, "You're right. I can't even be at a deaf school since I don't even know sign language."_

_Digging his thumbs into his pockets, he walked quickly, but Yukhito caught up. "Hey, then let's learn sign language!"_

_"Let's? You mean, you and me?" He pointed to himself, and looked at the guy in front of him as he nodded._

_"Sure! That way, you won't complain for me talking too fast that you can't pick up what I'm saying. Well, what do you say?"_

_He was first unsure, but then he nodded. "Sure, why not?"  
><em>

***End of Flashback***

I didn't force Yukhito to learn it with me. He offered as I kept pestering about going to a school where I might belong.

He was also the one that suggested to me to get hearing aids.

He never once treated me as if I was an alien. He talked to me as if I could actually hear clearly. He didn't go too slow with his words, and he never went too fast. It was a friend like that that made me be able to move forward.

Rick was the same, as he was my senior. I met him through Yukhito, as we all were in the category of Abnormal.

Yukhito had a freaky ability to short-circuit any electronic with a ten second touch. (Maybe he was the alien?)

Rick looked weak, but he had a strength as if he had huge muscles. (Which he had none.)

And me... Kuon... was deaf. I was the strangest of the group, even though those two were even stranger. I was known as a mutant to others. Why was I the one targeted? It wasn't like there wasn't anyone else who was deaf. Or was it because...

I groaned as I woke up, rubbing my eyes. I didn't want to think of it. I wasn't living the life of Kuon right now, so why was I remembering all of this?

It's that girl's fault.

Seeing green circles popping up and dancing in the air, I looked over at the blinking numbers of my alarm clock. 5:00. Hmm... I woke up early again.

Picking myself up, I laid my feet at the cold floor, sending myself into the bathroom. I was partially asleep, but a shot of cold water splashed on my body was enough to alert me back. I didn't want to think too much of my past. I was suppose to be Tsuruga Ren, a _normal _man that could hear. But every time I went to the bathroom, and into the shower, I was reminded that I could never be normal as I took off both of my hearing aids, not wanting to get them wet.

This just sucked.

Coming back into my living room, I glanced around at my surroundings. A place of my own, but I would forever be alone. No one would love a person who needed hearing aids to listen. That was like they would depend so much on them, that they couldn't live their life without them.

And I couldn't. If I wanted to go back to the guy that kept reading lips all the time, the guy that never even used a hearing aid, then I might as well die.

Or at least, that guy they called a mutant might as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Kyoko's POV<strong>

I sat upright, feeling queasy as I looked around the room. I hated sleeping in a bed. Sure, to humans it was nice and soft if they slept at the one I was in, but me? No, I would rather sleep in the tub, literally.

For my whole life as a mermaid, I always slept with water surrounding me, making my hair float and cool me down. Here, up at the surface, anything wet that I get from sleeping might be from my sweat, and I didn't find that satisfying.

I looked around, and decided I might as well take a shower if I was going to complain to myself anymore. It was okay, as it was cold, but I liked cold sea water best. But since I wasn't going to get any, I decided that cold _regular _water might as well be my substitute when I'm here.

Coming out, as I pushed the sliding door, I dried myself with a towel. I wore slippers and walked out of my room with a smaller towel in my hand so I could continue drying my hair.

Choosing a simple top and jeans, I dressed up and went downstairs. No one seemed to be up, but that didn't bother me. I usually woke up early in the palace just to do some cooking, but I was always scolded by my maids.

_"A princess shouldn't cook her own food!"_

Yeah, right. Is there some kind of rule book that I was suppose to read? If not, then saying what a princess should be like shouldn't be needed.

I continued to chop the vegetables that I laid out until I heard a clatter at the next room. Curious, I put down my knife, wiping my hands with a towel. Walking out, I saw a girl with a human shaped candle.

_This must be... I think, Maria chan? _I reached out my hand for a handshake. "My name is Kyoko," I strained painfully, feeling my throat heat up slightly. Was it getting dry? "Are you Maria chan?"

The little girl nodded. She had wavy auburn locks and wore clothes as if she was a doll. "Yes, and you're the rumoured Pearl Princess, right?"

She saw me wince at this. I shook it away and nodded.

Maria, who at first thought she was imagining it, suddenly realized that I was having troubles with speaking. "Ah... can it be you can't speak without hurting your throat?"

I nodded again. "If I-"

"DON'T SPEAK! Sheesh," scorned Maria, shaking her head. She put her hands on her hips, "and I heard you tried to talk normally when you were acting with Ren chan!"

_Ren chan? Chan? _Attempting not to laugh, I managed to with years of acting lessons from Moko san.

"Don't do that!" scolded Maria, not caring that being scolded by a 8 year old seemed quite odd. "Do you want to hurt your throat some more, or what? Here!" She grabbed a notebook on the floor where she was making magic circles and shoved it at me. "Write what you want!"

Obeying, I scribbled down my note.

_**So you're the President's grand daughter?**_

"Yes, I am!"

_**It's nice to meet you. Tell me, what were you going to do with that candle?**_

Glancing down at her wax candle, she murmured, "I was going to write a name..."

Surprised, I quickly jotted down, _**Oh? Whose name?**_

There was silence until Maria went into fangirl-ish squeals. "Oh! I want to write Ren chan's name so he would fall in love with me!"

I could just imagine Ren kneeling down proposing, "Will you marry me, Maria chan?" and the little girl squealing that he wanted to strengthen their everlasting love.

Ugh... talk about a disaster. He was a grown man and she was just a child.

_**Maria... wouldn't you use a voodoo doll? Just grab a strand of his hair! Wouldn't that be easier?**_

Again... more silence. Maria shook her head. "Love... it's never easy. There are times when you think everyone is telling the truth, but behind your backs, they lie to you." Closing her eyes, she began to reminisce some of her memories, although they were never happy ones. "It was always like that with my mother's death. I caused it. She died in a plane crash, just because I wanted her to come to my birthday. People never forgave me, but in front of a child like me, they lied to me that it wasn't my fault. I..." She opened her eyes filled with hatred. "... don't trust adults!"

Setting the notepad on my lap, I began to scribble some more, trying to deny Maria's words, but then a flash hit me.

_"You! It's your fault that they died! If you were never born, this wouldn't have happened!" The man cringed, looking at me madly. He screamed, "What are you trying to prove by killing our comrades?"  
><em>

I continued to see the man yelling at me, until Maria snapped her fingers. "Hey, are you okay?"

Blinking, I heard the man's words fade. My legs gave out as I fell to the floor, gasping for air.

_NO! I don't want to remember! _I gripped my head.

The man's final words were echoed in my head, words I never thought I would hear again.

_"YOU MURDERER!"_

Maria remained clueless, and she continued to be at that state when she saw me open my mouth widely.

That was when I screamed all my might—even with my hoarse throat holding me back.


	9. Reminisce Old Memories

A cooling gush of wind blew softly at the mermaid that resurfaced from the freezing hell of her own home. It was even worse when she went to the surface. When she finally reached land, _finally_, she came out with a stunning long silvery dress. Hey, if you're going to get legs when you're a mermaid, you might as well also have some clothes to go with them. Resurfacing naked isn't the way to start off your day.

Barefooted, the cold ice beauty brush a strand of hair over an ear. She scanned her surroundings, but saw nothing of what she was looking for. _Of course she wouldn't just stay at the same spot for three days. _But it was worth a check.

"Now... if I was heartbroken, what would be the first thing I do?" she asked herself. She walked over to a perched rock, and sat on it. She bent over, contemplating the options.

1. Her friend went in a random path, with no real objective.

2. She was so heartbroken that she went to kill the man, just like how the original "The Little Mermaid", by Hans Anderson, ended.

3. She was angry, but went to complain to Sebastien, her human butler.

4. She wanted revenge, to make the man understand what he lost.

"I could probably bet on number four... But wasn't that guy a singer? She kept blabbing about him singing the best, but I have no idea where he is. If I know where he sings... then I might find who they're rivaling with and... HEY! You!" The woman shouted out to a jogger that was jogging in the cold, huffing. He was going to run faster, until she froze his legs, mentally of course. He couldn't see that he was frozen.

Slowly, she climbed up the steep cliff that was above her and grabbed the man's collar, smiling slyly at him. "Now... do you know what agency Fuwa Sho is at, and who their rivals are?"

* * *

><p><strong>*Flashback*<strong>

_"Princess..." __A man bent over, balancing as he sat on his heels. His name... what was it?_

_Kyoko looked at him, as he offered his hand for she was just sitting on the ground. _

_She refused._

_ For some reason, she always felt hostile in front of this man. Although he entered the palace with his skills and—disgustingly—his "good" looks. He was known the most handsome in the whole kingdom, but she had no desire of believing anyone. To her, he seemed like everyone else. There was nothing special about him._

_"Oh? I see." He looked away, and saw a maid hurrying over to Kyoko. No matter what, Kyoko hated always treated as if she couldn't do anything lady-like. If she had to act like a lady for the rest of her life, she would gladly trade it for a commoner's life. At least then, she wouldn't have to be told to do this and that other than to clean her room._

_And Kyoko always cleaned her own room, not letting a maid or servant do it._

_"Kyoko dono..."_

_Kyoko whipped her head up. "Don't call me with -_dono_. That is even worse than _-sama_."_

_"I'm sorry." He bowed deeply. He saw from the corner of his eye the maid hurrying towards them. "I wanted to ask something... Is it true that you have this... blood phobia?"_

_"Huh?"_

_She didn't know what to expect when the man got out a knife. Where did it come from—his pocket? She also didn't know that the maid that swam over would have her blood floating thickly in her palace._

_Did he just kill her?  
><em>

_Her eyes widened, and her other self appeared, taking over her body._

_This girl had dark red eyes, and instead of the princess's rumoured pure white tail, she had a black one. Black, a colour that couldn't be any darker or lighter._

_She smiled at the killer for bringing her back to life. But if she killed him, then who else was she suppose to hurt? Just one dead soul didn't satisfy her._

_Maybe... there were more weak souls to take away._

***End of Flashback***

"WAH!" screamed Kyoko, shot up to an upright position. She soon fell back, hating the jabbing pain of her headache.

When she looked, she saw Sebastien standing over her. Looking around some more, she saw that she was back in her room. Well, the room that was at the President's place to be exact.

"Ah.. Did I... faint?"

Her butler nodded. "You screamed, _then _fainted." He touched her forehead lightly, checking for a fever. "Kyoko, why on Earth did you scream?"

_No... I can't tell him. He would be disgusted by that side of me!_

"Oh? I see your voice is getting better," he commented. He went over to a trolley and poured her a warm cup of green tea. He handed to her, which she took gladly. She bend down to bow, but Sebastien stopped her.

"You don't have to bow." He stretched out both of his arms and spread the blanket over her. "Kyoko, please tell me what made you scream." He asked again. He furrowed his eyebrows, looking concerned at her.

Kyoko stared at this, and bit her lip. She opened her mouth, wanting to spill about her split alter ego, but closed it shut. "I can't tell you."

"Why ever not?"

"I... I just can't. You wouldn't accept me then." She pulled away from him, setting the tea cup down. She handed it back to him, barely even taking a sip, and hid in the covers. "I... I don't deserve happiness."

* * *

><p>"Oh? Kyoko chan's voice is getting better? That's great!" Yukhito exclaimed. "She isn't signing anymore?"<p>

"No..." murmured Sebastien. He looked over at his mistress, and looked even more heartbroken to see her cleaning floors. _Oh, Mistress! You shouldn't be the one cleaning floors! I would gladly help you, but the President refuses me to! _"I heard you were the one translating for her silence?"

"Yes, but she wasn't always quiet. There were times when she had to talk up, because she wanted Ruriko to panic a little for hurting her voice. It worked, and now she barely talks back to the director."

"That's good..."

A crash was sounded... actually, many crashes. When the two looked over to see what was happening, they saw people slipping. The cause?: a slippery floor made by Kyoko hime. She had blood type B, so she probably wanted to make the floor look nice. Blood type B usually meant when the person started something, she would end it till she was satisfied. Knowing Kyoko, she might have used wax...

"WAH! I'm so sorry!" Kyoko fretted when she saw so many people slipping, trying to save at least one. She didn't, no matter how much she tried. She began to almost tear up, but stopped when she saw Ren walking by.

He was distracted, reading intently at a new script that he received. His hearing aids were set on low, as he only used them when it was work. If it was just a regular day, he didn't need to use them. After all, on your day off, you do whatever you want. But if someone did talk to him once, then when he was alone, he would turn them on. You never know when you needed to hear again.

This may sound ridiculous, but Ren didn't want to waste the batteries.

Because of his mistake, he couldn't hear people warning him about the dreaded slippery floor. He was still busy with his script, until he was interrupted by a small push.

When he looked at whoever did it to him, he saw the petite girl from before. The one with a pink jumpsuit.

"Yes?" he asked, still having his script on one hand.

He shouldn't have asked. He was then in a world where everyone was talking to him all at once. His hearing aids were off, and all he heard was a bunch of mixed sounds. None of them made sense.

He, however, focused on one person's lips, and that was the girl before him. She was speaking fast, but soon slowed down.

_I'm sorry, but I accidentally made the floor slippery. You were about to fall._

He nodded.

She got off of him, and stretched out a hand to help him up. As he got off, his manager went over to complain about him not looking. Ren shrugged it off, and laughed.

"Oh, I guess I was concentrating too much on this script!" he joked playfully.

When he went away from the crowd, Yukhito whispered, "Are _those _off? You should really have them on at all times, no matter what."

Seeing his manager walking so he could see his lips and lip read what he was saying, Ren nodded and gave off another laugh. "Ah, sorry. I'll have them on when I go to the bathroom."

"You better, or you won't hear everyone's screams for your death because of a slippery floor."

"Hardy har har, very funny."

As Ren turned a corner, he caught a glimpse of pink from the distance. It was the cursed jumpsuit that Kyoko had to wear, even though it was ridiculous. But wasn't she over—Ren looked behind him—there? He saw the girl still apologizing, and taking out her stampbook for everyone to stamp on the same page. Everyone was furious of their sore bottoms, so maybe they were all minus points.

So who was that that he just saw?

* * *

><p>Kyoko sighed as she plopped down on the cushion couch of the Love Me room, exhausted of her mistake. Her exhaustion could be aimed at Ren, who wasn't even looking and ignored everyone's cries, and she had to save him. He didn't even thank her! All he did was nod and laugh off her miraculous rescue!<p>

Her anger stopped, more like halted to an immediate stop and forgotten, when she saw an old friend at the door. Well, her friend wasn't old, just one year older, but it has been a while since she saw her.

She thought she was dreaming. After all, could it be true?

Her "dream" said, "Idiot. Mermaids can go to the surface at the age of 16. You couldn't wait for then?" She then smiled. "I finally found you."

Bolting at the door, Kyoko engulfed her friend with a tight hug, tighter than an octopus's grip. The woman didn't mind, as it had been seven months since she had heard from Kyoko. Only a glimpse of her banishment from her own kingdom was when she last saw her.

"Kyoko..." she murmured, looking at the girl who was crying. She broke down to tears also. "You're such an idiot. Getting banished then coming back, what were you thinking?"

_"YOU MURDERER!"_

"I...! *hic* ... it wasn't me who killed them!" she spluttered, starting to break down.

_"You! It's your fault that they died!"_

"I can't help it if she comes out at the sight of blood!"

_"Is it true that you have this... blood phobia?"_

"I wanted to help people, but then she appeared!" Kyoko went lower, down on her knees, but still gripping her friend's hands. "Help me!"

_"Never in all my years would I have thought I would meet the famous "Pearl Princess"!"_

"I want to strip my title as Pearl Princess! I want to get rid of it!" She was now on the ground. Drowning in her tears, she slammed the floor, feeling a numbness surrounding her hand. She gripped it tightly. "WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME?.!"

Kanae looked at her, and began to pet her head affectionately. She didn't know what else to do. "I understand. Being called the Pearl Princess is the worst title to get. Who wants a title like that when it means your pure heart can be easily tainted?" She continued to pat her best friend's head, who was still on the floor crying, wailing out her cries.

Closing the door behind them, people soon couldn't hear her cries as clearly, which was good. Kyoko wanted to cry all her might without being judged.

Even though she could never cry all these years about her banishment.


	10. Dark Past and Lost Hearing

_**I see the last chapter was confusing... but in a story, something has to be confusing that you want to know what's the problem, right. It sucks you in to find out more!**_

* * *

><p>"What? Kyoko sama- I mean, Kyoko... was banished?" Sebastien cried out. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Out of everyone, he would never have guessed Kyoko, his kind and wonderful mistress, to do such a thing as to get banished. "But how?"<p>

Kanae cringed and looked over at the sleeping girl. After crying her heart out at the sight of her, Kyoko soon fell asleep. It was Sebastien who picked her up and sent her back to the President's mansion, but he wanted to find out why he heard her cries from all the way to the end of the halls.

"Kyoko... she has this... blood phobia."

"Huh? You mean she's scared of blood?" Sebastien looked at her strangely. "Why, of course she would develop a fear over blood. She's a pacifist, after all. She hates people getting hurt."

"Yeah..." Kanae nodded. "There was this one time... where a doctor refused to help just because the patient was poor. Kyoko... saw this many times where a patient was ignored for this and... that kinda broke a vein."

"What do you mean?"

"She... she hates seeing blood and developed a phobia towards it, like I said, and she tries her best not to see it again. Although, because doctors refuse to help, she soon had to use force."

Kanae bit her lips. Gritting her teeth, she cringed, sending her head to go back. She felt uncomfortable telling all of this to the butler, even if he did mean well and wanted to know this secret. Still, it was just... Would Kyoko want him to know this?

"I... can't forget that time when Kyoko suddenly lost it. There was so much blood everywhere. There were so many dead bodies and so many that were close to dying. The doctors still were so stubborn to help. They just complained how the blood was polluting the ocean and they should just die somewhere else."

"That's... just cruel." he said, shaking his head. He let out a huge breath. "How could they do that to everyone?"

"That's just it," said Kanae. "Kyoko hated their attitude. All they cared about was money, and nothing else. They didn't care _at all _for their patients, just that they could pay them. Since Kyoko was scared of all that blood, she didn't have the courage to stand up to them. There was too much around, and she was shaking, head to tail. So... another person took over her."

Kanae looked over to her friend and stroke a lock of hair that was covering her eyes. Seeing the peaceful bliss, she smiled sadly. "A girl with a pure heart means she would fight hard not to let it get tainted. But it also means it's the easiest to."

"Kyoko... has this other side of her, a dark side to be exact. She comes out when Kyoko hides behind the sight of blood. She's the fighter inside of her. And she's the one that has a lust for blood."

"A lust... for blood?" Sebastien only saw the pure innocent girl he took care of all of these years. He could never see her as a blood thirsty killer. "That's impossible. She's a pacifist. She would never kill anyone!"

"That's right. _Kyoko _would never do it, but the other side of her would. She first appeared when she saw all of that blood. At first, that side was helpful. She managed to scare all of the doctors to help, and if they didn't, she threatened to kill them. But then... it went worse."

"There were still times where blood would linger around, where there were fights and Kyoko would accidentally see them. Everyone would just watch as someone was beaten senselessly, not helping. Kyoko would have ignored this, just to avoid seeing blood, but _that side _refused. She wanted to join the fight too. And she killed the bullies and the person being bullied. Soon, when she was done, she was close to killing everyone that was just watching."

Looking up, Kanae said, "Kyoko's dark side thinks that people who just watch others get hurt shouldn't live. She thinks that someone like that should just die. That's what I thought, until I realize that she just loved hurting people. She was such a sadist..."

"A few years later, a merman came to our kingdom, saying he would be helpful as a guard. He turned out to be a traitor, and killed a maid in front of Kyoko. As expected, Kyoko turned into that girl, and killed the man. Or so she thought she did."

"He was just laying there, but it was so Kyoko wouldn't be satisfied with one death. That darkness wanted more... she wanted to kill more people and see their blood swimming around the clean palace. Kyoko ended up doing that with her own hands, using only a knife, and killed about three quarters of the palace staff. She was about to kill her mother too, as the other quarter of the staff were just maids."

Sebastien couldn't believe it. Was that side really her? No, Kanae said she was her dark side, but was she really capable of doing all of this?

"Kyoko was soon banished for that. That traitor... he was actually alive. He just faked himself dead so Kyoko could kill all of those people. If he just continued to fight her for a long time, then she wouldn't have went on a killing spree. She would have just been satisfied for having a fight with him."

"How do you know all of this? Were you there?"

She shook her head. "No. It was all over the news in our kingdom. But the traitor, no one knew about him. Only Kyoko did. No one would believe her though. They thought she was a threat to the whole kingdom. And all of this was days after she met her "Prince Charming". For her banishment, Kyoko gave up her voice for legs and ran off with that guy. You get the rest..."

"So... she went with him so she could forget all of this. So she could live happily ever after?" He shook his head. "She wanted to be happy so badly... And I heard she went back?"

"Yeah... it was so stupid of her. Although she was just floating on top of the surface, everyone could tell it was her. She couldn't go down, but she was right over her castle. Her mother went up, heard that she wanted to be a mermaid again, and gave her tail back. But... then she took her ability to sing, and she went back to being a human, so I heard."

"Yes... Kyoko hasn't tested out whether or not she could still sing, but I think she's afraid to find out."

"Of course." She nodded. "She loves singing in the whole wide world. To not sing... that's even worse than death or without a tail."

"So I see..." Sebastien trailed off. He saw Kyoko murmur her cries, saying it wasn't her fault. So who was it to blame? That other side of her? "Why would Kyoko create that side? There's no reason to, after all."

"Ah... well," Kanae rubbed her neck. She then sighed a heavy sigh. "It's not as easy as you think. When someone gets angry, they do crazy stuff they don't mean to do. It's not like they're in their right mind at the time. For Kyoko, she just gets angry just looking at blood. Every time she sees that and no one helps, she just gets furious. I guess all that pent up anger was bottled inside of her, and it soon created that beast. A beast that has no real anger towards a certain target, and it just wants to feel the crack of a fin at the bottom of her fists."

"And you're saying that Kyoko turns into... that... when she sees blood? What about her own blood?"

"No, she never goes crazy at that."

"Huh..." _That's odd. You would think that someone with that personality would get angry if someone hurt her. _"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I was surprised too, but that's just how it is." Kanae shrugged her shoulders. "She would only turn into a beast when she sees someone else's blood."

"I guess that's good to know."

Sebastien began to mull over this. His chin was rested on his fist, wondering. He soon leaned over to Kyoko, patting her hair down. She mewed a little; letting him know she like that. She was sleeping peacefully while they were talking about her dark past. "My... is that why Mistress refused to tell me; saying she doesn't deserve happiness?"

"Proba- hey! Don't call her Mistress!"

"But she's aslee-"

"It doesn't matter if she's asleep or not! Do you want the habit of her always telling you to quit calling her that?" complained Kanae.

"No, but I-"

"NO BUTS! She hates that!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, hmphing. She growled. "If you continue to treat her like she's some important object, she would grill you till you understand that she wants to be treated like a normal being!"

"A... normal being?" Sebastien blinked repeatedly at this information. "But she's a lady, so I must-"

"If she wasn't one, would you call her a mistress?"

"No, I-"

"EXACTLY! It's just because of what status she's in. She knows that, and she hates it. Don't make her remember how she's not a princess anymore."

"Because of her banishment? But-"

"What did I tell you?" she growled in a deep voice. She bared her teeth like a hungry shark, waiting to eat all of the prey that was stupid enough to swim in its mouth. "She _hates _being reminded of it."

"I-"

_Sorry, sir. I just feel awkward at being called the Pearl Princess. Please, from now on, refrain from calling that to me._

Sebastien paused. He remembered her typing that to the President. Was that connected to what was happening? "What about calling her the Pearl Princess? Why does she hate that?"

"Wha- Oh my god... You called her that?.!" she groaned. "Of course she'll hate it! Look!" Lifting up a finger, she mustered another growl at the ridiculous butler. "I'm only going to say this once, and that's all!"

"The most common colours pearls come in are white and black, but mainly white! Kyoko's tail is white, and she has a pure heart, so she was given that title. But because of her dark side, she has a murky heart swirling with anger, and that made her tail turn black. It even made her irises turn red instead of golden! Every time she hears that title, she keeps wondering whether or not she deserves it, or it just reminds her that everyone has a dark side, which she hates hers."

"Don't EVER call her _that, _do you understand!" Kanae finished, still hissing at the butler. "I understand you never knew this, but now that you do, try not repeating any of this. If she remembers it again, she's going to-"

"I know, I know. She's going to freak."

"Good! So you understand?" Kanae asked. She didn't really need an answer, as she knew it was going to be "Yes.".

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ren? You're not remembering about that time, are you? I mean, I can understand that you might after being reminded by Kyoko signing to us but-"<p>

"No, I don't. But since you're talking about, then maybe I just did."

"ACK! You're right! I'm sorry!" Yukhito gasped, panting in panic. "I just- well, I thought that... I...!"

"Nah, it's okay." He forced a chuckle. Driving, he came to a stop at Yukhito's house. He turned, wrapping one arm around his chair, and smiled sadly. "I'm trying to forget it, and bringing it up is okay. Just... don't do it so often, 'kay?"

"Sorry, it's just... I can't stand _not _thinking about it!" Yukhito slammed his fists on his thighs, gripping his knuckles till they turned white. "Those guys... just because you're "mixed blood", and because you're related to Hizuri Kuu and Hizuri Julie... I can't believe they sunk so low just to do that to you! I thought I would suddenly forget it, since you want to act as Tsuruga Ren, but seeing Kyoko signing just made me remember why I learned it! Why _you _suddenly had to learn it. It just...!"

"Yashiro san," Ren said, patting his friend's arm. He knew he would freeze at hearing him not calling him by name. "I'm fine. It's no big deal. Hey, it could have been worse."

"It _could _have been worse? What part of being deaf isn't worse about it? I think-"

"YASHIRO SAN!" They both went silent. Then, Ren sighed. "I'm sorry, but please stop bringing it up. If you really disliked it so much, you would be kind enough to remember that I hated it too."

Silently, his friend gave a quiet nod. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that all of these years, I would remember a terrible time because of one girl. It would be wonderful to forget it but... at the same time, it's impossible."

Pulling the door open, Yukhito quietly went back to his house, controlling himself to stop his rambles the next time he saw his friend. He was here at Japan to support him, not to make him remember something that happened five years ago.

Ren still sat at the driveway, and he himself suddenly was remembering... oh, how he wished he didn't.

***Flashback***

_In an abandoned warehouse, Kuon was brought with force as he was knocked out by a sheet dripped in chloroform._

_When he was came to, he realized it was only one person that did it. And that man was the reason that he was getting fired lately._

_His arms and legs were tied with a thick rope, entwining tightly around him. When he tried to break free, he ended up opening new cuts as the splinters from the rope gushed blood. The smell of iron... Kuon was familiar of it by now.  
><em>

_"You, a talentless actor, _tries _to get in with your parent's name. __Pa-the-tic! Just because they're famous, you think you can use the road they paved for you? You think that you can get past us and become famous just because your last name is Hizuri?.!" __a man barked. He was somewhere in his 20's, and he always showed his hatred to Kuon. No matter what, there was always faults in him. Even when there weren't, he would persuade the director that there were, making Kuon get fired._

_"No... I'm not using my name to-"_

_"Forget it!" The man smiled at him, a boy that was tied up to a chair with rope. He soon walked up to him, and placed ear buds in his ears. Kuon, blinking at this, soon saw another smile, but was frightened. What was that man planning to do with him?_

_"Hey, you know how people say that ear buds are bad for your ears? How headphones are better? I couldn't agree more! Since if I chose something that wasn't going to give you the full punishment," he leaned over, and whispered in his garlic breath, "then you wouldn't be crying in pain."_

_"Wha-what do you mean by that?" Kuon stuttered. He looked over as the man went to a sound system, scrolling all the controls to the highest. Suddenly knowing what he was doing, Kuon struggled to free himself. He was tied up, but that didn't mean he didn't want to get out! "Ugh! What do you think you're doing?"_

_"Oh... just a little something. You know, I found this interesting song on the Internet, and I messed around with the pitches so they might be high..." He chuckled. He glanced around the room, almost looking like he was admiring it. He breathed in, then exhaled. "Though, if I put it at low, you might not know that, so why don't I help you?" He fingered around the iPod that was dangling on Kuon's chair. He flicked his finger, showing Kuon that the volume was at its highest._

_"N-no! Don't-"_

_"Ah... and this boom box is just great! It's a good thing I have two iPods, or this wouldn't work as well. Just think, Kuon!" The man patted his back hard, smiling. "You hearing a loud song with ear buds _and _the background is even louder! Do you understand what might happen to you?" The man bent over from behind Kuon and saw his frightened face. He just _adored _seeing the little guy scared. "I see you do! That's great, isn't it?"_

_"Why are you doing this? I haven't even done anything to you!"_

_"Ah, that's where you're wrong. Going around claiming you're such a _great _actor when you're not, getting all of those top jobs that I should have got... you make me sick!" he spat,feeling disgusted.  
><em>

_"But I got them because of my ability! I worked hard to get them too!"_

_"Yeah right! Just say that you're_ Hizuri _Kuon, and you got the job!" The man pretended to gasp. "I wonder why only that name gets you a place in showbiz. No... wait! I know why! Since your parents are famous, that's why!" he growled. "I hate people that think that just because their parents are famous, they can be famous too. What, talent is suppose to be hereditary? Yeah, right!"_

_The man grabbed the chair and pulled Kuon closer to the boombox. He stretched himself so the iPod he was holding and the one on the sound system could be pressed at the same time. "Maybe you'll learn your place once I make it _impossible _for you to act!"_

_With strong earplugs plugged in his ears, the man cackled as he pressed the two buttons to his victory.  
><em>

_With a press, a piercing sound was heard. That man was right, it really was loud. So loud that... Kuon might have his ears bleed and go deaf.  
><em>

_"N-NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!"_

***End of Flashback***

_Damn him! It's because him that I'm deaf. I recovered, but now all I hear are weird noises, not sounds that are suppose to be pleasant!_

Ren continued to argue with himself all the way home. When he parked his car in the parking lot and got out, he looked at the flashing lights of other cars. He suppose that the rattle of the ground and the whoosh of the cars speeding down the road was what people usually heard, but all he heard was a bunch of garble. Not much.

That was if he didn't have his hearing aids on. But really, he hated having hearing aids in general. They never worked well in a noisy environment, as they kept picking up too much sounds that he didn't even need.

There were even times when his hearing aids made his hearing worse, as all he had was fuzzy noises in the beginning. It was close to impossible to amplify that until he got the ones with higher frequency.

But even then, he still hated having to always take care of them. To always worry about taking them out when he had a shower, to take them off so he could have complete silence when he went to bed, and to change the batteries when they suddenly went dead before he went to work...

It was just a ton of work.

And he doubted a normal person would have to worry so much about that.

And all of this was because of that man's fault.

What frustrated Ren the most was that he couldn't even remember his face or name. Just his stinky garlic breath that he kept breathing down his throat.

* * *

><p><em><strong>BTW, I'm just <strong>_**saying _that the most common pearls in the world are black and white. There are pink and green of course, but I think they're rare to find._**

**_And for some people who are curious, Ren's hearing aid isn't the type that is visible. It's not those that you can just hang over your ear. From a far distance, you wouldn't know he had one unless you went up close and looked inside his ears to see them plugged in. There are those that you can plug literally _inside _your ears so no one could see them, but then that would be difficult to write about._**

**_ You'll soon see why I had Ren have these when he could just do an operation where he had this weird device in his brain so he could hear. I have no idea what that's called, but a lot of people hate that. Although it's helpful, it's kinda like having a computer inside your brain. Not cool..._  
><strong>


	11. Competing

**Kyoko's POV**

_I understand how people always say you should forgive and forget, but how can I? That other side of me killed so many people! No one would forgive me! I would never be allowed back in my own kingdom! If only... if only I wasn't like this. I keep telling myself that it wasn't me who did it, but it was my body, right? So... how am I suppose to not blame myself? Even if it wasn't _me, _the kind pure girl everyone thinks they know, it was still my body that killed all of those people!_

_How am I suppose to forgive myself?_

_I'm not sure if the me right now_ is _the real me. What if that girl that was capable of slaughtering everyone in an instant was actually who I'm suppose to be? After all, she was hidden inside of me all of these years. How do I not know that some day, when I see _human _blood, I might want to kill that person that was bleeding in front of me, then kill anyone in my range? _

_I'm so stupid... I'm so stupid for having this side of me. I really am. I mean, why would someone want to appear at the sight of blood, then kill someone who's bleeding, making them bleed even more? That makes no sense, right? Well, it makes perfect sense to that other side of me, who's having fun killing everyone in my body. I'm taking the blame, and it's not fair. Well, life's not fair, so I have to deal with it._

_I wonder... was I foolish to think that running away with Sho was right? I barely knew him, and he barely knew me, yet he managed to make me feel like we knew each other forever. I was friends with him during summer, the day I saved him. Summers are usually the time when storms happen, but to my luck, I managed to save him despite all of those harsh waves hitting me. I saved him, and I even used CPR on him since he wasn't breathing! Damn that guy... and he throws me out like some kelp that just washed up on shore. He has some nerve!_

_But then again, would he treat me better if he knew I saved him? I doubt it. Even if he did, then I don't want that type of guy in my life. I want someone to treat me the same whether or not I saved him. If his personality changes just because I save him, then that's not his real personality. But would I find a guy like that around here? I have until the day I'm seventeen to find a guy to love, then I can turn into a mermaid again. I won't go back to my kingdom, as I am banished from there, but I might be able to find a place to live._

_Maybe... just maybe._

_But I don't deserve to fall in love. No... who wants to fall in love with a murderer?_

* * *

><p>Kyoko lazily glazed over the audition section on a magazine, trying to find something that might make her get at least <em>one <em>TV job that would make her be noticed. But no matter how many times she tried, they all looked hard, and she wasn't up for it. She was, after all, still an amateur. She couldn't beat her best friend Moko san, who can cry at the drop of a hat. In three seconds. All Kyoko could do in three seconds was fall fast asleep.

"Maybe I shouldn't have thought of this whole revenge thing. I don't think I'll ever win. He's Akatoki's #1, and I'm only LME's #1 Love Me Member. That's not enough to brag to him..."

"MO! Are you going to give up so easily? That's not the Kyoko _I _know!" Kanae slapped her at the back, hard. Kanae was also a Love Me member, but it wasn't that she lost the ability to love. No... she already had a boyfriend, Hio, and she loved Kyoko as a friend. She had difficulties with her family, who was multiplying like mad at this rate, but she didn't really had a problem with them either. No... she just joined so she could be with Kyoko. The President didn't mind this, as Kyoko needed a familiar friend around.

"But Moko san! I can't do any of these, so maybe I should just give up. I was never good at acting anyway so..." She paused to see a frightening face Kanae made. Her face scrunched up at this. "Sorry... I guess I shouldn't say that in front of you."

"Of course you shouldn't! I didn't teach you for nothing!"

"But... I had to sneak out of the palace just to be with you. When I think about it, if I was a commoner, then I would be able to spend more time with you and have sleepovers, eat kelp dip and coral chips, have a shell sundae, dress ourselves up, and-"

"MO! What the...! No one does that!" she shouted, pointing a finger at Kyoko.

Kyoko blinked. "No one does?" She furrowed her eyebrows and had one curled finger on her pursed lips. "But at the television at the palace, all the dramas had those! And even the maids had sleepovers and-"

"No one does that! It's as simple as that!"

"...No one?"

"No one!"

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"... Are you really, really, sure?"

"Yes, yes! You only do that when you are out of options of what to do!" Truth is, Kanae never had a sleepover before. She didn't want to start one with Kyoko, as that might end a disaster to her little friend's fantasy of what one would look like.

Kyoko sadly nodded, but she didn't want to annoy Kanae any longer than what she usually did. Which... actually lasted quite long and it consists many sparkles in Kyoko's eyes and tugs and pulls and complaints of how Kanae was mean to her as a friend, which was only her way of being her friend. And that took... let's see... sometimes an hour?

Setting the magazine down, Kyoko soon found something interesting down on her lap. Finally. She turned it so Kanae could see, and pulled the corners of her lips to a grin.

"Hey, let's compete to see whose acting is the best. Of course you'll win, but it would be fun to compete with my acting teacher."

Leaning forward for a better look at, Kanae wobbled her head up and down in approval. "A drink commercial? Eh, it couldn't hurt. And you're saying we're competing?"

"Yep!" Snapping the book loudly, she bounced across the room, happy with glee. "It would be like a test for me. So you can see how good I am now! Please, Moko san? Please, let's compete?" she whimpered, pouting like a puffer fish out of the water. Oh... how Kanae hated that look.

"Fine... But I-"

"OH, THANK YOU, MOKO SAN!" Barreling her friend down to the ground, Kanae wanted to yell, complain, and get the heavy load off of her. But... to make her friend sad after all she's been through, that wouldn't be right.

* * *

><p>"So... the soda's called Kyurara... don't you hate soda, Kyoko?" Kanae glanced over at her. Seeing the exasperated look at her clueless friend's face, that concluded her question. "Kyoko... then I'll win, don't you think?"<p>

"No! Just because I don't like sodas, doesn't mean I can't drink them!" exclaimed Kyoko, who was quite proud of her statement.

"But doesn't it give you a stomachache after you drink it?"

"..."

"...Well?"

"..." Kyoko slumped to the ground, depressed at the fact, and moaned, "Yeess..."

"Oh, Kyoko... I don't want to do a challenge against you if I have a complete advantage. In the commercial, you probably have to _drink _it and _like _it. I don't know if you can do both..."

She reached out a hand to pull her up. Taking the offer, Kyoko muttered a few words, mainly how she didn't think this one through, but that earned a sigh from Kanae. "Don't worry, this magazine," Kanae patted her hand purse, the one that held it, "has a lot of offers where we can compete each other. Let's go to one of those!"

"Okay... But Moko san, the director directing this commercial is really famous. It might be hard to pass this up just because I get a little stomachache... Besides," She waved her hands, "I can act all normal when the commercial ends!"

"Fine..." sighed Kanae. She couldn't argue with that. It was true that on screen, she would have to have her game face on and _pretend _to be fine. Off screen, she could do whatever she wanted. "But don't barf on the director... please?"

"I won't! When was the last time I did that?"

"..." Kanae sighed. "Three years ago, and it was hard to clean it up in the ocean floor. I can't believe you would throw up at kelp soda."

"Hey! It was disgusting!"

"No, it wasn't. Anyway..." Kanae glanced at where their audition was going to take place. It should be somewhere here... "Ah, I think we're here. No backing down now, okay, Kyoko?"

"Okay, Moko san!"

They walked side by side, until they met a familiar face. What was she doing here?

"Eri... Erika?" gasped Kanae.

The dirty blond looked up from her throne, which sparkled and was _just _out of place in a room filled with humans, and she was sipping tea with a small dainty hand. She had three butlers by her side, obviously mermen with legs, and smiled.

"Why, Kanae! What a pleasant surprise!"

Ugh... don't you just hate that rule where merpeople can automatically get legs at the age of 16? It brings annoying pests like these to the surface.


	12. An Unfair Battle

_You're kidding me... right? Why is another merprincess competing to be in the commercial? _Kyoko stared at the girl, who seemed to waste no time of showing everyone that she was rich. Kyoko was richer than Erika, but didn't dare to show it off. It was just a simple rule that she learned. Look like a commoner so you won't get anything stolen from you or you won't be held as hostage for money. It was a simple rule that all royalty must follow if they wanted to get around a normal society in peace.

Of course, Erika didn't think so, and she acted like everywhere was her castle. Kyoko couldn't help but feel sorry for the butlers. They had to carry a throne everywhere they went and a trolley of sweets... Oh, that just looked ridiculous, no matter how you saw it. Commoners would gaze at this in awe, but Kyoko could see some sense in this eye rolling act.

Kanae could too, and she wasn't even at the same class as them!

Setting a single hand on her hip, Kyoko muttered, "What are you here, Erika?" she asked.

Gasping, obviously acting surprised, Erika stood up from where she was sitting. She ran up to Kyoko and patted her shoulders. "What? You can call me by my name? Who told you that you can? Was it me?" She opened her mouth, looking around, then pointed at her butlers. "Did you hear what she said to _me_?"

"Yes, Erika sama! It's disrespectful!"

"Very much!"

"Even _we, _your trusted butlers_, _can't call you by name. You shine too brightly for us to!"

"Hohoho! Yes! See?" Erika smiled at her, slapping a hand on Kyoko's shoulder once again. "Learn your place, _commoner_."

Kyoko twitched.

Erika walked around her, just like how she sometimes would swim circles around her. Not like she could do it very often, as she would be sent away by seeing another _handsome _prince.

"Don't think that just because you once were just like me, that stripping your title as *princess*", she whispered, "means you're still one." She slapped Kyoko's back, but the girl stood still.

Seeing this, Erika wanted to have another round, just _wanting _to see that girl break into tears. "You know, I really hate being cooped up in that "house" of mine. It was wonderful when Daddy let me... go out and have fresh air..." She was referring to how she went up to the surface. "Ah... how wonderful is he? And all my jewelry is worth _so _much up here and-"

She could have continued some more, until Kyoko shrugged. "Blah, blah, blah. I have money and I could do this. I have money and I could do that. Yeah, I really don't care what you do." Kyoko walked past the prissy princess and took a chair to sit. An _ordinary _chair, not a throne. She patted an empty one down next to her, allowing Kanae to sit.

"Look, Erika. You can brag all you want, but you see... the thing is, I don't care. I'm glad you like your life, I really do. But..."

She turned to glare at her, feeling a thick wave swimming her way. She _hated _the other princesses more than anything. Okay, scratch that. She hated her other self more, but the princesses were second on her list. They lived lavishly while their kingdoms lived with only fish food. Yeah, that's right. Just food that humans dump in the ocean. It was either that or worms.

"... I don't think I'm the one you should brag about to. After all, just like you stated, I'm not like you. I don't have oodles of money lining up for me to spend (Actually, she does. She just doesn't use it...), and I don't wear clothes once like you do. But the truth is, living like that is the same as living like trash."

And that did it. "WHAT! _Me. _You're saying _I'm _living like trash?"

"Erika, forget what I said." Kyoko sighed, leaning back. "You want to participate in the audition, right? I see you want to act, but get this. If you use your name, _Koenji, _a famous name from the founder of the Koenji Group even _once_ in your audition other than introducing yourself," she glared at the princess, "then get out."

"Wh-what? How dare you say that to me! Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Yeah, you're Koenji Erika. Big whoop. I _don't _care." A holler was heard as the man directed the girls to go to another room. "Ah... it seems like it started." Getting up, Kyoko calmly went with him, followed by a line of several another girls.

Erika was the last, as she was telling her butlers to stay. As she hurried so she wouldn't lose the line of peasants, she soon was angry at this. She was a _princess_; she shouldn't be last!

"That Kyoko... how dare she talk to me like that!" she grumbled to herself.

* * *

><p>"Oh? The director is absent?" a school girl with brown curls wondered. "I wonder if this audition will be alright."<p>

"Yeah, me too. You know that fight between those two girls? That other one, the one that... I think her name was Erika? Erika kept screaming insults at her, and that girl was calm the whole way through! I wouldn't have been able to stand two seconds!"

"I know, right? That was just scary to begin the day."

"Okay! Settle down, people!" an executive shouted. He was sitting next to an empty chair, the chair where the absent director would have sat. "The director isn't feeling well today, so we're taping this. The director would see it once we send it to him and-"

A clatter interrupted his explanation. And when everyone looked to see who made it, it was none other than Erika. "I am Koenji Erika!" she cried out, performing a grand jeté. Her legs were in a split, mid air, and she landed to cover in a spot in front of Kanae. "My hobbies are horseback riding and traveling abroad. I am a _pro _in professional ballet, as you can see!" she exclaimed, twirling around.

"Hey! Stop standing in front of me!" hissed Kanae, quite annoyed that Erika was saying all of this with her back towards her.

Kyoko would to, if someone did that, but... why was Erika standing in front of Kanae?

"If you have me in this commercial, use the Koenji Group name and it will be an instant success!"

And that was her favourite playing card. Even when Kyoko warned her not to, she still did it.

"Oh? Then we have ourselves a winner!" the executive exclaimed. "If it's you, then our product _will _be a succe-"

"WAIT!" Kyoko shouted. She crossed her legs and her arms. She was just furious. _Now _she remembered Erika's relationship with Kanae. Ugh... how could she forget? "You haven't even interviewed _us _yet. Remember, this is an _audition_." Standing up, Kyoko walked up to Erika. Her arms were still folded as she hissed. "I warned you not to use your name."

Her opponent shrugged. "Hey, I introduced myself. That's all I did."

"Erika... Erika... Erika..." Kyoko shook her head lightly, sighing at Erika. She looked like she was sorry for her. "I'm sorry, but I have to say you must be the most _forgetful _person in the world." Motioning one of the cameramen, she said, "Can one of you bring one of your cameras over here? I would like to replay something for the..." Kyoko looked up and down at Erika. "The girl..."

_What? _Erika gritted her teeth, furious as Kyoko took the camera. She pressed a couple of buttons, before it played out her words. Word for word.

_"I am Koenji Erika!"_

"One." Kyoko held up a finger, still glaring at Erika. She pressed fast forward and paused to play another clip.

_"If you have me in this commercial, use the Koenji Group name and it will be an instant success!"_

"Two." She held up two fingers. "I told you to only say _Koenji_ to introduce yourself and nothing else."

"What? I can't introduce myself as the daughter of-"

"No, you can't," Kyoko firmly said. She then looked at the executives, and saw them sweating at the little verbal fight that was happening.

"Misters, I believe it's not only you that gets to make the decisions, but also the director. If you chose Erika, and ignored all of us, what do you think he'll say?" She patted the camera in her hand. "This is only _one _of the cameras that is filming today's audition. If that one," Kyoko pointed to the other boy's camera, "is the other one, then don't you think he would only see me scolding you? Won't that be a bore?"

Kyoko walked up to the men, still smiling. "Ah, and the executives of a drink company only want _money_, not talent. Oh, what has the world come to?" She slammed the table, almost spilling the drinks that were in front of them. "Now listen here. Everyone here didn't come here just so you could pay attention to one girl and forget about the rest. If that was the case, then we would have left the room by now, and that's not really an audition, now is it?"

She then growled at them. They were sweating more now. What was this girl doing, arguing to them? But they couldn't argue back, as she did make a point.

"Tomorrow, when the real audition starts, don't favour Erika only for her money. Do that again, and I'm sure everyone here," She motioned the other contestants, "will feel an unfair game is happening."

"Ah! I think the audition ended already!" Kanae exclaimed. She went and winked at everyone. "It looks like we _lost _to Erika. There doesn't seem a need to audition anymore. Actually, there isn't a need to audition for _any _of Kyurara's products."

"Yeah!" a girl exclaimed, standing up from her seat. "I'm sure to tell everyone that all of Kyurara's executives only cared for someone's money, _not _talent, What a waste of my time!" she muttered.

Everyone began to stand up and walk to the door until one of the executives cried out, "WAIT!" Everyone looked at him and he sighed. "Audition is tomorrow. Bring your A-game and prove to me that we shouldn't choose Erika."

And _this_ was good news.

* * *

><p>"I totally forgot that Erika kept using her money just to get the lead at your school," said Kyoko. They were both in their Love Me uniforms right now, cleaning the floors, and trying to get rid of the extra wax Kyoko made before. "She always did that as a princess, just to get boyfriends, but all the guys were after her money."<p>

"She doesn't care, unless she gets what she wants," Kanae dumped the mop into the soapy water. She went on all floors and began scrubbing off the wax. "You weren't there, since you were taught at your palace, but Erika was once taught at my school. Her father wanted her to experience what "commoners" had to go through and wanted her to compare them to us. To not act like us. She then experienced it... and she found out that she loved acting."

"And she used her money to get the lead all the time... I know, I know."

"I'm just sick and tired of that! She even made me not being able to go in the Drama Club _just _because she paid the teacher enough money to... to... UGH!" She slammed the towel down to the ground. A lot of people were passing them by and were looking strangely at them. But after that, they just went on their way. "I hate that about her! To hide behind her family name and _claim _to have talent when you don't!"

A slap fell to the floor. The wet floor. Kanae looked up and saw Ren just passing by, with a script in his hand. Or at least, it _was _in his hand. It was now just lying there at floor, getting soaked up. Maybe the ink was spreading?

"Uh... your script?" Kanae picked it up, and gently gave it back to him. Ren just nodded.

He tilted his head and said, "You're talking about _Koenji _Erika, right? If you are, she also tried to enter our company with her name."

The raven beauty hollered with annoyance. "I can't believe her! She even thought that doing that would help! To _pay _the President when he's already rich," she muttered.

Kyoko chuckled lightly. "Well, when you're suddenly head over tai- I mean heels, in money, that can happen to you. You suddenly get stupider and start wasting your money." She patted her head, still laughing. She looked over and asked what Ren was doing here.

"Ah. Well, I'm going to have an interview with a director. He should be here right now... but I just soaked the script he gave me yesterday..." he said, pinching the wet pieces of paper that were binding together. "Oh well..." He shrugged. "Anyway, why are you talking about Erika?"

"She was in an audition with us and does what she normally does: say her name, mainly her _last _name, and uses her money to bribe the judges. Or at least, that's what she's going to do when the director get better."

"That's something she would do..." Ren took the towel Kanae offered. He began to wipe his script.

"And now we have to find a way to stand out..." muttered Kyoko. "Her method was using just her name, but what could we use? Something that would attract attention so easily..."

"...Mogami san?"

"Yes?" _Huh? Did he call me Mogami san? He never said my name before! _

"What about what you two are wearing right now?"

"Huh?"

He pointed at her. "Your Love Me uniforms are hard to forget."

Looking down, she suddenly understood what he was saying.

"Don't tell me..." Ren twitched an eyebrow. "... you have gotten so used to it these past few days that you forget the stares you get from them?"

She nodded. "It's not so bad once you wear it a couple of times."

* * *

><p>"Kyoko chan is going to go to an audition tomorrow?" Yukhito smiled. "That's great!"<p>

"It is, isn't it? She said she's going to do it with her friend, Kotonami san, because she wants to compete with her."

"Compete?"

Ren turned to look at him. He chuckled softly. "Kotonami san is Kyoko's former acting teacher, best friend, and the second Love Me member."

"S-second? What's she in for?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"She just entered the Love Me section to be with Kyoko."

Still confused why anyone would enter it willingly, Yukhito could only conclude that it was because of their friendship. "Is that so?"

"Yeah..." They both walked in silent until, "And Koenji Erika is at the same audition."

"Koenji?" Yukhito rolled his eyes. "Ah, _her_. Ren, you have to forget about her. Sure, she's using her parent's famous name, but you didn't do the same. You actually used your talents to-"

"Yeah, but it scares me that no matter how many times I have bury my past, there are still little things that bring it back up to the surface."


	13. A Little Secret

A shrill sound from her alarm clock woke Kyoko up from her slumber. Right now, Kyoko lazily opened one eye at the loud clock, mumbling to herself to change the setting to instead of the annoying beeps, to maybe the tunes of the radio. But maybe she'll do it tonight, when she might cry or scream in delight at the results of whether or not she did a good job at her audition.

Fingers crossed, Kyoko immediately sent herself to the bathroom to brush her hair, teeth, and wash the sweat off her face. When she was done, she looked up to the mirror in front of her. It was a simple round mirror that was screwed tight on the aquamarine painted walls. Her sink looked like a half of a clam, while the faucet seemed to be an angelfish opening its mouth to a puckering kiss. Although there was no saltwater anywhere in the room, it made her feel less home sick.

After brushing her hair with a few drops of tap water on the comb, she soon ran her fingers through her hair to straighten it. It's been a while since she done that, taking her time just to brush her hair. Usually, it was just a quick brush and then she was off for her day, but today, she felt the need to look her best.

Even if her best meant wearing a brightly coloured uniform that was _so _out of fashion.

She ran down to the wide clear pool that the President owned, who had it cleaned daily. She was excited to see that her friend didn't leave, or went to go find a home. Not saying she wanted her to be homeless, but having Kanae in the same house was fun!

"Moko san! It's time to go to our audition!" she cried out. Jumping a little. She splashed the water playfully to wake the sleeping mermaid. "Wake up!"

A few bubbles that were bubbling on the surface revealed Kanae underneath.

Kanae hated sleeping on her bed the first time she was in it, and she couldn't understand how Kyoko could stand it. Since Kanae was able to turn back to a mermaid once her whole body was immersed in water, she decided to sleep at the President's pool. Although there was no sea bed, or any kelp blanket, sleeping on the tiled floor was okay as long as she didn't scrape her tail.

Scratching her wet hair, Kanae yawned like how a goldfish would open its mouth. Hoisting her whole body up, she soon was sitting on the side with Kyoko. Lifting her marine blue tail up in the air, she shook it, sending several droplets onto Kyoko.

Kyoko giggled playfully at this, and shook the drops of chlorine off her hair. The rest were sinking in her hair, but it wasn't a lot, so she didn't had to worry to go take a shower to get rid of them.

When Kanae was drying herself, taking the cotton cloth that was lying on the ground, she soon went back to being a human. This time, she was wearing a green bikini.

"Kyoko, how do you stand sleeping on a _bed_?" Kanae stood and glided to the nearby room, which was where _her _bathroom was. Like at the public pool, where there was a shower head, the President had the same concept.

Twisting forcefully, a raining cloud of water sprayed onto Kanae. Dripping with the warm steaming water, she took a couple of globs of shampoo and conditioner and ran them into her hair.

"I still don't like sleeping on one, but it's not like Sebastien would let me sleep in the tub!"

"But your skin won't get wrinkly, if that's what he's worried about. You're a _mermaid_. If you had wrinkly skin every time you were in the water, then you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the young and the old!" she exclaimed. Shutting the shower head off, she grabbed a second towel, and brushed her hair dry. She did the same with the rest of her body.

"Well, humans sleep in beds, so I have to do the same," explained Kyoko truthfully. "Besides, I'll probably get used to it now that I'm here for a year!"

"Ah... that's right! You once always went to your vacation house every time it was the summer, didn't you? For only two months... that didn't make you get used to it, even if you add all of those months up together." Kanae slipped out of her bikini and took out her "human outfit" from the drawer she was given. When she was done, she was all dressed up in the same attire as Kyoko was.

"Yeah," Kyoko nodded, walking Kanae out the door and taking her to the dining room. Grabbing a couple of sandwiches to go, she ran out to the door where Sebastien was waiting. "Even then, I was still practicing how to walk with legs."

"Your mother always took just necklaces or a doll from you to give you legs. It was never something extreme like your voice before...Well, to turn into a human at the age of six instead sixteen makes it harder to start off, doesn't it?" Kanae opened the door of the car and closed it. Taking a munch of a mayo and lettuce sandwich, she buckled up quickly.

Kyoko did the same. "Yes, it is. After that, I was learning a whole bunch of things on my holidays. Sebastien was my teacher. Weren't you, Sebastien?" She went and looked at Sebastien in the car mirror.

Taking one glance up, Sebastien nodded. He slowly sent the car out of the gates. "Yes, Kyoko, I did. It was mainly just music, dancing, and how to act like a lady up from the surface. That's all."

"That's all!" shouted out Kanae. She gulped down the sandwich and wiped it off using the back of her hand. She drank a few gulps of pure water and said, "But all she did was learn! What was... wait a minute. Kyoko..." Kanae turned her head. "How many instruments did you learn?"

Kyoko was silent.

"How many types of dances did you learn?"

Still silent...

Gaping her mouth, Kanae turned her head to Sebastien. "Sebastien! How could you? She can't learn so much in ten years! She has to rest sometimes!"

"I'm sorry, Kotonami san, but Kyoko's mother, Saena sama," He felt it was okay to address her mother with -sama, "told me to do it. I can't back out at that command, as you know how a merqueen is. They lash out at humans more painfully that human queens do."

"But couldn't you-"

"I tried," he said firmly, trying to let her know, "but her mother wanted her to be perfect as both a mermaid and a human."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure a perfect human needs to know so much instruments and dances to be perfect," Kanae muttered gruffly. "Kyoko, why didn't you tell me?"

Kyoko shuffled her feet slightly, feeling awkward. "Because... it... wasn't that important."

"Not _important_? You think I don't wonder sometimes why your lips get so chapped when you come back, or how your fingers have hard blisters when you're suppose to be relaxing?"

"If Mother says she wants me to learn all of these skills, then I can't argue back."

"But she..." _But that mother of yours banished you for something you didn't even do!_

"It's okay. I love music and I love dancing. It's not like she made me learn it so I would hate myself."

"But... oh, fine. Are you at a professional level for all of them?"

"..."

"KYOKO!"

"I'm sorry!" Kyoko bent over and covered her head with her hands.

"And Sebastien, how could you teach her so much in only two months each year? _How _many weeks did it take for her to learn them?"

"..."

"Please don't tell me it was days, or even hours for her to cram all that knowledge in!" groaned Kanae. She slumped down into her seat. "SEBASTIEN!"

"I'm sorry, Kotonami san, but I can't complain Saena sama for doing this and-"

"But she must have been so tired!" Kanae gritted her teeth, irritated that she had to learn that her friend was only studying for her whole summer break. "OH MY GOD! DON'T YOU TWO _DARE _SAY THAT IT IS EVEN WORSE IN SPRING AND WINTER BREAK!"

* * *

><p>"Moko san! I'm so sorry for not telling you this!" Kyoko cried out, trying to catch up with her.<p>

Kanae was speeding up to the doors, but Kyoko was faster, almost zooming from behind. When she caught up, Kanae grumbled. "But it's been years since you've been doing it. Why didn't you tell me? Didn't you think I would wonder why you would be tired on your holidays?"

"I know, but it's a princess thing! I have to learn it and-"

"But did you even _think _of learning them? Did you want to learn professional ballet in just two days? Did you want to be able to play the flute in just an hour, and be able to play any piece? Did you even _want _to learn how to sip a cup of tea elegantly and not slurping it like a pig?" She paused. "Okay, maybe the last one you needed it, but why didn't you tell me?"

"I was worried _this _would happen. You're worried right now, and I didn't want you to act the same every time I came back." Kyoko squeezed her eyes shut, and bowed down. "I'M SORRY!"

_I just can't be angry at her for long... _Kanae made Kyoko to stop bowing and sighed heavily. Kyoko panicked at this, but Kanae just shook her head lightly. "Kyoko, I'm your _best _friend. I'm _suppose _to care. If I didn't, then what kind of friend am I? I would be heartless, now wouldn't I?"

"I guess..."

"Besides, I might worry, but then I'll soon understand why. You're a princess with a strict parent for a queen. It's okay." She held out a hand. "Please, next time, _let _me worry about you."

In tears, Kyoko hit Kanae with a humongous hug, but it wasn't tight as usual. No... it was light with a few tears. "Moko san!" she cried out.

"There, there..." She patted Kyoko's back softly, trying to calm her down. "You were forced to by your mom. It's okay... Now stop crying. There are people looking at us weirdly again..."

* * *

><p>If someone told you that they just saw a bunch of pieces of paper, and they were tempted by it, what do you think they were talking about? How could paper even be tempting... oh, wait! Were they talking about money?<p>

Yeah... right now, in front of the director, was neatly piles of money, at the highest digits, on his table.

When he entered the room, the executives of the drink company were talking to three ridiculous looking butlers that laid money on the table. When he looked at this, he calmly sat at the chair available for him and... placed his feet on the table.

Right where all the money was.

It came crashing down, the neatly piled bills, but the director didn't seem to care.

"What are you doing here? Get these pieces of trash out of this room!" he growled. "You think you can bribe your way into getting your little missy the job? Well, tell her that if she wants to be in this audition, she'll do it the old fashion way: she'll win with her talents."


	14. A Split Decision

_**Just something to tell you people... the only reason I was able to upload the chapters quickly was because I was on Spring Break, as many of you may be... Now that I'm back at school, I might go back to my weekly or bi-weekly (even tri-monthly) updates. I'll warn you if it ever goes to monthly as I sometimes have to practice my violin for RCM Exams...**_

* * *

><p>Erika shook as she held her phone, listening to her weak butlers complaints.<p>

_"I'm so sorry, Erika sama! Your plan to bribe the director failed badly!" a butler explained. "He said that he only wanted talent in his audition, and if you planned to want to bribe them again, he would kick you out of the competition!"_

_What! What kind of human _doesn't _refuse at the sight of money? They should be begging for more! _"What do you mean?" she screamed into her phone. She held it close so she could hear their excuses. "That director must be stupid; try again then!"

_"No! He looked like he was going to kill us!"_

"UGH! Aren't you _men_! Act tough and-"

"Oh? Are things not flowing so smoothly for you?"

Hearing that voice, Erika whipped to see the smug look on Kanae's face. "Oh my, how sad. There is _finally _a human out there that isn't fooled by money."

"What are you talking about? He's a fool not to accept it!" She twirled around and pouted. "I always got what I wanted with money. Why isn't it working now...?"

"Since that's not how the world works, you idiot. Not everyone will say yes when they see money. I still can't believe your father managed to get a company working at up _here_. He's still governing your kingdom, and you're up here wasting your money on pointless things that won't help your kingdom get any better."

"Hmph! If the people that live there are poor, it's their problem! They should go get a job that pays well!" She went away from Kanae. Of course that was how those commoners should be. Why are they so stupid? They didn't even spend a shell yet they still stayed poor.

Kanae sighed at this. Princesses were so stupid sometimes. They keep thinking that since they're rich, everyone else is also. Then when they see commoners, they stay away from them, not wanting to get infected by their "poorness".

"I'm so glad my kingdom has Kyoko as it's princess. Or... at least _had _her. If Erika was the princess, we would all be poor by now."

* * *

><p>Kyoko held two strips of paper that said "3-A" and "3-B". Since Kanae seemed to be taking her time, she took the last two pieces of paper from a box. It was like gambling; you never know know what you were going to get. It wasn't like she had to guess what the paper said, but she must have needed luck to know what they were for.<p>

She heard that the director was going to determine the second round by drawing lots, but how was that going to work?

Seeing Kanae back, she held out the paper that said "3-A" to her. "Here, I took the liberty to get it for you."

Smiling, Kanae took it from her. Swiping it, and opening it to see what she got, she sighed. "I wonder what the director is going to-"

"BWAAAH!"

When Kanae and Kyoko turned to see who interrupted, they were surprised enough to see that a... gangster?... was standing by the door.

Everyone couldn't help but gape at this. _Why _did the executives bring a yazuka? Are they mad?

To their most utmost surprise, the "gangster" sat down at the director's seat.

_No... _Kyoko and Kanae, along with the others thought, _that can't be... right?_

"Everyone... this is Kurosaki Ushio, the director that wasn't around for the first round of the audition."

_Oh...My... God!_

* * *

><p>Playing around with her fingers, Kyoko murmured to herself. "Oh... so that's why we drew lots."<p>

At the director's explanation, he said that instead of one person getting to be in the Kyurara commercial, it would be two. The best two might be in the pairs that they were already in, but if one person was better than the other, then it could be two from two different pairs.

"As I saw from yesterday's video, the executive of this _stupid _company," He pointed both of his thumbs at the people beside him, ignoring their sweating expressions, "decided to vote without me. It's a good thing one of you pointed that out, or I would have been offended. _I'm _the director, and _I _make the final decisions. If I get a lousy actress as a pick, and the audition is over, then no commercial!" He quickly turned and gave a quick punch at the man beside him. "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?.!"

"YES!" he whimpered, rubbing his hurt arm. Ow... that has _got _to hurt, especially if you got punched by someone that looks like a _gangster._

"Anyway..." another executive, not the one that got punched of course, explained, "I believe that Kurosaki san is seen in a lot on TV. He is usually the one directing the commercials nowadays..."

Taking his shoulder, Kurosaki nodded at the comment. "Why is it so? Why do _I _do the commercials? It's because my commercials..." He paused for emphasis,"...are a work of art!"

...

Okay there...

Now he's looking less like a yazuka...

But this calmed Kyoko down. Although she was a "killer", she was still able to be scared. Seeing the man as an "ordinary human with crazy clothes" calmed her down.

"Okay, as I told you before, the lots... treat them as if they're your name tags. I will choose the people suitable for A and B by the end of the day. _Make sure _to give me your best performance and give off a good impression of yourself."

On the other side of the room, Erika was fuming with fury. You could see smoke practically coming out from her. _What? In p-pairs? That's so ridiculous! Even if I_ do _do my best, my partner, _She looked over to the day dreaming school girl she was with, _might bring me down!_

"Now, show me the best quarrel that you can give to me in **60 **seconds! My storyline is that A-ko confesses to a guy, but he tells her that he like B-ko more. This is what starts the fight. And remember: A-ko and B-ko are the best of friends."

"HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT!" Erika lifted her head, giving off a strange pose.

"What? Are you going to say that that type of friendship doesn't exist? Since if you are..."

"NO! I want to say that it is _unfair _that those two," She pointed at Kyoko and Kanae, "are in the same group! They're best friends and they'll have an easier time doing this! Rather, the people who just met will have a disadvantage!"

Kurosaki san scratched his goatie chin, seeing her point. "Ah... well, everyone already drawn lots already, and I don't want to do it again... What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want them to not discuss what they're going to do. _That _will give us a fair bit of an advantage!"

Kyoko sighed. "My, my... has money _really _put a dent in your brain?"

Erika shot a look at Kyoko. "What do you mean?" she hissed loudly, obviously offended. "Do I not make a point? You and Kanae are _best _friends! Everyone else barely knows each other and-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," she sighed once more. "What I mean is: If Moko san and I don't discuss it, while everyone else gets a chance to rehearse their lines, it's not a fair game, now is it?"

"Who cares? You two are friends and-"

"Erika..." Kyoko glared at her. Narrowing her eyes, she walked up to her, and gripped her fists as she walked. Menacingly, Kyoko said softly, "If you want to have an argument, say things other than the same statement over and over again. It's not as effective as you think," she stated bluntly.

_What...? Why is she... She never bothered standing up to me before! _Erika could feel herself shaking. Her! Shaking at the voice of such an unappealing princess? That can't be right!

"Fine," Kyoko twirled around back to her seat, and sat in it with a light squeak. Shrugging her shoulders, she declared, "Moko san will go to the room with the others, and I'll stay here. _Just _like you said." She smiled. "Unless... you want to say that that's unfair also?"

"Uh... UGH!"She threw her arms in the air. What was wrong with that commoner? Just because she was once a princess, doesn't mean she can fight back! That Kyoko... "Fine! Have it your way!" She stormed out, leaving dust behind.

Everyone was about to leave, but Kanae stayed put. "Kyoko... are you sure about this?" She bit her lips, unsure what to say.

"Sure I'm sure. This is our battle. With this, I get to show you what I learned from you!" Kyoko gleamed brightly. Setting a hand on her friend's shoulder, she murmured, "And I would _hate _to lose to a spoiled _princess_," she spatted out.


	15. Stolen Light

Settling her head on her hands, Kyoko stared at the logo of the soft drink company. It had several colours of chartreuse and and blue. It looked similar to willow branches, and gave off a soft touch at the edges. What a calming picture...

Not really paying attention on what to do for her "pretend fight", Kyoko was stumped. How was she suppose to fight Kanae without lines? How was she suppose to show the director a convincing fight if they didn't rehearse it? It was impossible, just impossible! How could-

_"In real life, are lines rehearsed?"_

Blinking for a second, she quickly stood up. Gasping, Kyoko took a hand in front of her mouth. How could she be so stupid? She was concentrating so much about thinking it as an act, she completely forgot!

***Flashback***

_"No, they aren't rehearsed! Don't panic so much..." Kanae laughed, patting Kyoko's shoulder._

_"But Moko san! How are we suppose to do this act?" Kyoko asked, pointing at the script that Kanae gave her. They were practicing an act, but the script said to give a convincing fight between friends. "That's not enough information!" she complained. Sitting down on an algae-covered rock, she sighed. "What is wrong with this script? Were the writers lazy?"_

_"No!" Kanae laughed at the princess's question. "In life, fights are different, right? Not all are the same. Whether it's between girls or guys, the speech is different, right?"_

_"Yeah..." _

_Kanae swam up to Kyoko and pointed at the sentence that told them to fight. "And this script is just a practice. It's for both boys and girls. The writers weren't lazy... Besides, even in different times, fights aren't the same."_

_"Oh, how so?" Kyoko placed her palms on her chin, and her elbows touching lightly on her sleek scales. "Tell me, _Kotonami sensei_."_

_"Don't call me that!" Playfully slapping her tail against Kyoko's, she laughed, letting a couple of bubbles leave her mouth. Swimming around in a gentle circle, Kanae swirled. "When mermaids were first created, they fought with humans. But they were so inexperienced, so they just threw shells."_

_"Shells... so cavemen..."_

_"Exactly! Sooo, as we evolved, we suddenly knew magic. Then we went back to hand to hand combat, also known as melee, and we can fight with speech."_

_"With speech?"_

_"Yeah... oh, I guess you never have to fight at the palace that often." She patted a finger on her chin, then swam back to her, and held her hands tightly. Smiling, she told Kyoko to try fighting with only their _eyes.

***End of Flashback***

"I remember doing that with Moko san once!" She said, hitting a closed fist on her palm. But_ will it be cheating if we do it again? No.. I don't think so. _Looking up, she saw that the participants were finished rehearsing. Had it been fifteen minutes already?

_Okay... I have to stay calm. It might be a long time since I've done it, but... I still have to polish it to perfection. Otherwise, repeating the same scene would be useless!_

* * *

><p>Several people gaped at the fight that they just saw. The maximum time for all of their fights were in sixty seconds, yet they made a convincing one in...<em> ten <em>seconds?

"I can't believe it. They weren't talking at all in the first half, just glaring at each other. But then... you could tell the anger of A-ko, who was betrayed by B-ko."

"And... to just slap B-ko after just staring, that added the suspense! But... she then regretted hitting B-ko, just like a friend would, no matter how angry she was."

"You know what... when you think about it, not all fights use words, do they?"

"No, they don't."

"To only use an apology as the only line, you can actually tell that they really do care for each other. I can't believe they expressed it without even discussing what they were going to do."

_Yes, how did they manage to do that? There is no _way _that Kyoko would no what to do. She's a terrible actress! How... HOW?.!_

Erika stomped her way, along with her butlers, and crunched at the the sight of Kanae. "HEY! Are you _sure _that you didn't just cheat? That has to be a lie! You haven't acted for a long time, as _I _was the one that made you stop. After being kicked out of the Drama Club, how could you still learn how?"

"Don't be an idiot." This made Erika cringe, making a terrible ugly face similar to a frogfish, with her lip angled up."I didn't stop learning. I went to a _different _acting school. Just because you haven't seen me act, doesn't mean I can't act while you're not looking."

"Are you kidding me?" Erika let out a breath. She then brushed her hair back with a flip. "It doesn't matter if you went to a _different _acting school. That just tells me that _I _went to the better one. I spent a _ton _of money just to get enrolled. With you, you probably went to the cheapest, meaning the _worst _school!"

***TWITCH!***

"And _really, _I can't believe _Kyoko_, a _terrible _actress, thinks she can beat _me_! She probably doesn't own a _dime_ if she's wearing the same clothes as _you_!"

***TWITCH! TWITCH!***

"After all, poor people can't portray emotions like the rich!" she laughed, with her butlers applauding her.

Saying stuff like she gave an excellent, logical explanation...

What... the... hell!

***CRASH!***

Ducking quickly, Erika dodged the chair, but it wasn't enough that her weak butlers could maneuver around it. Still holding another chair, as if to throw another, Kanae growled loudly, sending a deadly aura at Erika.

"Don't you _dare _say that! Just because you're rich, doesn't mean you have more talent! Sure, we don't think the same as you, but that doesn't make us any different!" She finished gripping the chair and threw it forcefully to the side, clattering several other chairs.

People were staring at them. They kept seeing the same group arguing, and they seemed to always be talking either about themselves, or Kyoko. Just _what _was their relationship? Enemies? Rivals? Old _friends_?

* * *

><p><em>I... I really don't know what to do.<em> Kyoko walked around, practically circling around the chairs. Aimlessly strolling around, she sighed. "I have never fought with Moko san. All of our fights are playful, so I can't really imagine a scene where we _make up_. How _exactly _do you do that?"

_I think on TV, they say sorry... but that's just boring, isn't it? Aren't there more interesting ways to apologize other than that? Something more... original, but something that no one would have thought of. Simple... something simple..._

_I have to think of something quick, as I'm the one that's suppose to lead Moko san now._

Looking around, Kyoko spotted the can that they were suppose to be sponsoring. It was sitting in the middle, along with another bottle.

_Oh? Now that I think about it... maybe I have seen something other than apologies on TV._

* * *

><p>"That's a great idea, Erika san! By drinking the Kyurara, we would be give a good impression to the judges!" Her partner clapped her hands, approving the idea happily. "How did you get this idea? I was worried when you went off, but you came back with such a great idea!"<p>

"Oh, you know... when you sit around, you can't get any good ideas forming in your head."

Gasping, her partner ducked down, a hand on the side, and she asked quietly, "But what if someone else has this idea?" she whispered.

"Oh... don't worry." Erika looked over her shoulder and grinned at Kanae, who looked back confused. "The first person to do it gets to set it in stone."


	16. Tiny Cracks Are Formed

It was as if the world shook. Was she really not in the favours of the gods? Did Neptune really want to send his wishes to Erika, the ideal spoiled princess, to win? Was that why? Was that why her luck went away the moment she knew Erika stole her idea?

She should have known to kept her ideas to herself. She should have known, yet she was stupid enough to forget.

_I don't trust anyone... I never did, yet that gives me an advantage._

Erika was someone that she always avoided, even in the balls that her palace held. Whether it was because of her dislike to Erika for her attitude towards the poor, or how Erika acted like the world revolved around her, Kyoko always kept a distance.

But anyone could see that gap, and find a way to fill it more, stretching their distance. At that, something would fall down at that gap, fill it, crystallize it, smash it, and make them closer, whether Kyoko wanted to or not. Giving Erika the advantage to take her thoughts without her knowing...

It was Kyoko's fault for keeping her distance. It just made Erika resort to do something like this. Stealing her ideas...

Kyoko narrowed her eyes, and bit her lips. _It was my fault. If I never made her angry, if I never made her think she was going to lose, then this might not have happened._

Looking at Erika's "planned scene", Kyoko then shut her eyes tightly. _Oh... I hate this!_

Erika was dancing, using her ballet to the test, and made it seem like she wanted to dance to the beat of her "friend's" song. The girl that was her partner had a voice that was close to rival a mermaid's, which was a rare talent to see.

Sipping a drink, the girl asked if Erika wanted to also. Acting out a convincing surprised look, Erika then smiled. "Thank you."

_That was my idea... How dare you steal it from me! How could you stoop so low?_

If a girl who fought with her friend suddenly let her share a sip of a drink she just drank, then she forgave her for whatever she did. If not, she wouldn't have shared it, now would she?

_That was the id__ea I wanted to show... How... dare you!_

With a few jabs, she could almost feel something come up from her throat. She never had been angry before. All that time, it was always her other self doing the anger for her. So why... why was it happening now?

"Okay, next group!"

_I..._ Kyoko twitched an eyebrow, glaring madly at Erika. Erika saw this, and winced herself, but gave her triumph look. _... can't forgive her!_

* * *

><p>"... Kyoko... we got the part, can you hear me?" Kanae looked at Kyoko's angry face. "I understand you're angry, but... do you really have to get angry with Erika that much?"<p>

They were walking to an ice-cream parlour that Kyoko recommended, seeing as it had a variety of flavours to try, and they wanted to have something to cool themselves down.

"Don't be so angry. So what if she stole your first idea? Your second one was better, and it actually knocked the judges off of their feet! Especially when in the beginning, you used your anger to shake the soda..."

Sweating a bit, Kanae couldn't shake off the feeling. A couple of unopened cans and bottles were set at the table, as the girls could sample some of it. Kyoko just grabbed two and viciously shook them. In front of everyone... with the body similar to a murderous intent.

"Sorry... I don't know what got over me." She took both of her hands onto her head, massaging slowly to get off the excess pain. "And Erika tried to injure one of us too..."

After they finished talking to the director and the executives, Erika must have overheard them saying that if any of them were injured, she would be one of their replacements.

"But you told her off! So stop worrying!" Coming to the ice-cream parlour, Kanae went up and ordered.

Kyoko sat at an empty table, and looked up at the shaded umbrella above her. It flapped against the wind, a few crackles were heard if you listened closely. The bells that were set on each of the tables jingled with a gentle soothing tune.

But when Kyoko closed her eyes, she suddenly saw the colour she loathed the most.

_Black... the colour of... _her.

Coming back with a mint chocolate and vanilla sprinkled ice-cream combo for both of them, Kanae noticed Kyoko looking at a whole different way. It almost looked like she was in deep thought, almost hurt at whatever she was thinking of. The only thing that would make her look like that was...

Ah...

"Hey, Kyoko?" She placed the ice-cream cone in Kyoko's hand. "It'll drip if you don't eat quickly."

"Ah... thanks." The girl licked, but soon gave off a sigh. "It happened."

"What happened?" Kanae asked, but she didn't actually needed to ask such a simple question. Although, maybe it wasn't a simple question at all...

"It doesn't have to be blood anymore. I just have to be angry." Kyoko dropped her head slowly, and chuckled. "Being angry makes her angry too. She wants to share it, but not blood-thirsty like.

Kyoko let out a single tear run down her cheek, and murmured, "I really am in trouble now."

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is a REALLY short chapter, I know, but I just came back from school and my teachers are dumping an assignment for me to do. Ugh... I'm going to die! And on the first day too!<strong>_

_**I might not update until my next day off, which is next week. Or it actually depends on how much free time I have...  
><strong>_

_**I understand that this chapter might be confusing, as my cliffhangers always are, but I PROMISE that I'll make it more sense at the next chapter! **_

_**PLEASE READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE! DON'T COMPLAIN TO ME THAT IT WAS CONFUSING!  
><strong>_


	17. Unsure

***Flashback***

_Both Moko san and her were planning to go to a new ice-cream shop. Who cares if it was winter? It's not like there was any snow today. And eating ice-cream during the coldest season of the year wasn't crazy at all. Although a bowl of soup is often suggested, you can't exactly celebrate with soup, now can you? _

_They were happily chatting until Kyoko stood still in her path.  
><em>

_It was only a couple of seconds until she felt an ominous presence creep up behind them. No, it wasn't like someone was stalking them and... no, scratch that. Someone _was _following them, but not to the point that it felt like some creeper._

_"Kyoko?" Kanae was soon shoved to the side. Kyoko jumped back, barely missing the swing of the bamboo stick used in kendo._

_When they both were able to see who was attacking them, they saw the three butlers in... was it even possible for them to be in more ridiculous outfits? I mean, really, was the tuxes not embarrassing enough in public?_

_Each and every one of them looked like a silly attempt to look "gangster", no matter how you looked at it. But... if they didn't had hair product-swept hair and smooth skin that had no deep scars or wounds, they _might _have had a chance to look like... whatever they were attempting to appear as._

_Rolling her eyes at them, she started to have an even _more _dislike to the butlers. Did they do whatever Erika asked them to do? If this was Erika's doing, she would have been better off telling them to eliminate them while still wearing their suits. Other than that, Kyoko just wanted them to stand out less. Which was worse—them in tuxes or silly outfits? Which would stand out more?_

_Well, at least they don't have this sparkly aura that surrounded them when they were with Erika._

_Grumbling and composing herself (And also trying to squish the other side of her... For some reason, that side would _love _to hurt them!), Kyoko snapped annoyingly, "Well, I see your _lady _is a coward."_

_Offended, they gave a sharp gasp._**_"Our mistress is not a coward!"_ **_they said in unison.  
><em>

_"Making _you _three do the work seems cowardly to me. If someone can't protect herself and relies on someone to do the dirty work for her, well..." Kyoko began to chuckle deeply. She couldn't imagine Erika to change one bit. "... then she should just realize that that's not how the world works."_

_Walking towards the three, she began to emit her famous aura. No, not her killing one, but the one that was rumoured to harbour demons, or so they say. When Kyoko hime was ever angry, which was really rare, she would make whoever anger her realize their mistakes, and even left them crying! It didn't matter if it was a man or a woman; they were terrified to see such a shocking sight at the usuallly friendly girl. _

_Creeping closer, she giggled playfully. Except, one would notice this as one that a banshee would admit. Would a cackle come next?_

_"Where is she?" She peered around, concentrating on where the selfish princess could be. "Is she hiding?"_

_"Erika sama is at home, sipping Darjeeling in her comfortable place—a majestic throne. Oh! If only we were there with her, but nooo! She told us to harm you bodily so you wouldn't be able to appear in the commercial. We would love to be with her, but doing a task specifically for our mistress is an honour!"_

_"Yes! And if there is someone that is stealing even a little of the spotlight from Erika sama, we must make sure she stays in the shadows, admiring our lady as she shines like the Sun."_

_"So we must-"_

_A small crackle was sounded loudly as Kyoko twitched her eyebrows, clearing her throat sharply. She cracked her knuckles, sighing at the pity that was going to happen._

_They jumped when they saw Kyoko looking at them, as if examining their every move. She quietly mumbled, "Would she want to protect you?"_

_"What?" One blinked, but then he snapped, "Of course she would!"_

_"Really?" questioned Kyoko. She looked at the three, and shook her head. "Since if you want to protect someone, it's useless if they won't do the same." _

_With one final nod, she walked away. Grabbing an arm of Kanae, they began to stroll soundly until Erika appeared in front of them._

_"Wait! Why did you ask that?"_

_"Ask what?"_

_Trembling, Erika lowered her head, taking a few breathes, then shot her head back up. "Why did you ask them if I would protect them? What does that have to do with anything?" She began to cry silently._

_Her butlers panicked at this, as they never saw her let out a tear in their entire life. And they were with her since she was little!_

_"I'm trying to get your role, and all you are going to say is that I'm a coward and I _probably _won't protect them?"_

_"Yeah." Crossing her arms, Kyoko had no hesitations of walking up to Erika. Facing her, with no large length of separation from before, she said, "Because I'm asking them. _You _want the role, but I don't think you were even determined." Not waiting for a protest, she added, "You stole my idea. If you were actually determined for that role, then you should have used your own skills."_

_"But I-"_

_"And aren't I the "terrible actress"? What use was it to steal from me?" Narrowing her eyes, she shouted, gripping her fists in anger. "Even when you did that, I still won. And that's because everything I did was in my power. No one else's. I didn't stoop low like you. I didn't use money, thinking of taking the easy road, and I didn't use a famous name that I was connected to get what I wanted. Everything I have done has been all my doing. _I _create my path to life. I don't use someone else or something else to do it for me. Do you understand?"_

_"What do you mean?" Erika shook her head in disbelief. "There were times where I won without doing that when I was little! It was only when I realized that using money was easier that I-" She gasped. _

_Was this what Kyoko was talking about?_

_In the beginning, she didn't even knew that she was a princess. She had no idea what a princess was like. Only when she realized all the power she had as she grew older, that she become like this._

_Like a... spoiled brat._

_When she saw a commoner, begging for money or even a small scrap of food, she didn't take pity. She was just disgusted by the sight. Assuming that everyone were idiots to not live her life, she thought that it was their fault for becoming like this._

_But she didn't know what she was doing._

_All that money that she was spending, making people create clothes for her on a daily basis, did they even have money? Even if she paid them, she couldn't pay for all the machines that had to go on high speed to match up with her need for fashion._

_Was she bankrupting them?_

"To me, if you live like that, it's the same as living like trash."

_Maybe Kyoko was right? When others only could buy once a year, just a couple of clothes, she had a mountain full every day; sometimes every hour! And she always threw them away after one use, thinking that they went out of style the moment she wore them._

_Was she just piling up all her guilt that way? And she even treated her butlers like lap dogs, making them carry around a chair and a trolley of food everywhere!_

_Was she being ridiculous?_

_She was so obsessed with showing her wealth, that she completely forgot to think of others._

_Slowly smiling, Erika murmured, "I guess... you were right."_

***End of Flashback***

* * *

><p>Soft grass curled under, giving off a fresh scent as across the distance, someone was mowing inaudibly the school's field. Loud cries of applauding were inside the auditorium, while outside it was for the soccer team's victory. There were many calm sounds, whether it was the quiet breeze fluttering towards you, or the soft chirping and flaps of sparrows after a patter of rain. The Sun's rays stretched out of the clouds, giving a warm rush of air.<p>

Finishing their shooting for the commercial, Kyoko started grumbling about Erika. Brushing her skirt lightly, she patted it down with her hands. Looking around, she began to mumble some more.

She was walking in all directions, stomping on the dirt underneath her, but often pausing if she was close to hurting some nearby flowers. Dodging a few, she soon gave up and fell onto the school's front-steps.

Coming up to her, Kanae gave her a bottle of spring water. Knitting her eyebrows, definitely confused, she shook her head in disbelief."Kyoko... are you still mad?" she asked. "She apologized... I understand that she stole your idea, but-"

"Are you kidding me?" She stood up. Pausing, she soon unscrewed the cap, and drank a few sips. Later, she cried, "There must be something that happened to her. I think she bumped her head and became messed up. There is no way someone like her would come to her senses that quickly!" Kyoko shook her head. She gasped and her face became deadpan. "No! Did all my lectures poison her? What happens if I get sued for corrupting that girl with common sense! No! Maybe I should turn her back and-"

"MO! I thought you wanted her to change!" Kanae sighed exasperatedly. She gave a rough shake before pursing her lips. "Though... you did change her very quickly. I was even surprised to hear a story from her that she would always protect her butlers because they once saved her from a "bad guy" before. I thought she wouldn't care if one of them died. After all, to her, butlers seem to be replaceable."

"Yeah..." Kyoko bit her lip. She looked at Kanae, hesitated for a moment, until murmuring softly, "That's not enough."

"Huh?" Looking up, Kanae saw Kyoko's eyes falter, looking unfocused. "A-are you alright?"

Shaking, she jerked her head into her hands. Her eyes were still widened, though out of vision from Kanae, and she gritted her teeth. It was impossible. No...

"What would happen if Erika didn't realize what she was like? What would happen if she stayed spoiled forever? I know she might not completely change but... What would happen if she stayed the same?" Bending even lower, with her knees touching the ground this time, she shivered.

"What would happen to me the next time I get angry?"

* * *

><p>Underneath a shockingly light blanket that gave off the same silkiness as the ocean lapping on your scales, a human laid still, still terrified of herself. Whether or not she would categorize herself as a mermaid or human, she didn't know. She didn't know if anyone of either species would accept her for what she had done.<p>

No... No one would.

She killed many people with her own hands. It didn't matter if she wasn't herself at the time. It was with _her_ body. If she could stop it, she would—but she couldn't.

There were many times where she would look into the mirror, thinking that it was a lie. That reflection she saw every day when she woke up was what everyone saw. Whether it was a simple hello or a kind wave or even a short conversation, it was _that _reflection that everyone saw. No one saw what _that _side of her.

If you ever saw Kyoko, you would quickly assume her as a innocent, kind child that would never do anything wrong. She would never actually hurt someone, and if she did, she might apologize later with a deep bow attached.

But did those people really know her?

Peeking out from her pillow-blanket cave, Kyoko glanced around her. She had a wonderful place to stay. The President heard her story but still let her sleep here.

Why?

What would happen if someone were to bleed in front of her, even a small drop?

She would kill everyone.

And now there was a chance that she might do the same whenever she had a tight twinge of anger surfacing.

So why was he taking the risk? He looked calm when she explained her strange condition. His only question at the end of her story was that if she was terrified of herself.

She replied that she was. What else would she have said?

_"Then I have nothing to fear from you." he said. "There is another person that I know that is terrified of himself. But that didn't make me have distance between him. No... that only made me want to come closer to him if I could."_

_If he could? Then did that mean that person refused his help? But then again, what would someone, a person that never had the same past, understand of this situation?_

"If someone tells me to forget what I did, I wouldn't do it. It's easy for them to say it, since it never happened to them. It's _always _easy to say something, but not so easy to do it." With little of a sound, Kyoko closed her eyes.

_The President must be lying to me about someone that's like me. That's impossible. How could there be someone out there that can relate to me?_


	18. Troubles

In front of the infamous Love Me room that one girl stood in front of, a tall (and very handsome!) man appeared when she was about to go to the President and ask what her next duty was. And this man was none other than Tsuruga Ren. He held a tiny paper between his fingers, and looked slightly unsure.

"It seems that you're going to be my temporary manager for now..." He gave her the tiny slip of paper.

Reading quickly, she saw the President's writing, stating that Yukhito fell ill due to the cold that was spreading around.

"Oh... Poor Yashiro san. I hope he gets well," she said, folding the paper into fours. Slipping in her pocket, she gave a slight bow with her head and said, "Well, I guess we better be going."

She didn't even take one step before he said, "I don't think so."

Turning her head, she turned and asked, "Why?"

"Because I can do my work just as well without you."

"..." _Is he serious? _"Yeah, but the President asked me to-"

"You don't have to." He began to walk away. His steps were caught in place as a cold chill anchored him to the floor. He felt his legs frozen, refusing to move, and his vision caught sight of the girl standing in front of him.

She looked unaffected to whatever was happening. Of course she wouldn't, as she was the one that casted her demons to wrap around his legs. Taking a few steps toward him, she gave a tiny pat on his cheek, tippy toeing to reach him.

"Tsuruga san. I don't back out something just because someone tells me to. If you want me to not take this job, then give me a plausible reason for quitting. Other than that..." She snapped her fingers, letting him regain the feel in his legs. "... you don't even know what I can do as your manager."

* * *

><p>Kyoko, however, had no idea what a manager <em>was<em>. In all her teachings from Sebastien, not once did the word "manager" slip from his tongue. He never even said anything about it, as it had no meaning to the royal world that she once lived.

What was she thinking? She was already failing as Tsuruga san's manager! And others were taking notice of this.

"Can you believe that girl? She made Tsuruga carry his own bag around? Is she really that lazy that she can't do it herself?"

"And look at her! Making Tsuruga always look up his busy schedule every now and then! That's suppose to be the manager's job!"

"I would be jealous since she's a girl, but look at her! She's so plain... there's no threat there."

"Haha, you got that right."

_You got what right? You people are insane! _Noticing herself getting angry, she had a few blinks to herself before cooling off. Exhaling a relief, she wiped off the sweat on her forehead. _I just don't get women up here... He _wanted _to car__ry his luggage, so I let him! What's wrong with that? And how was I suppose to know that he wasn't suppose to look at that book so many times?_

As a princess that only learned how to act like an ojou sama, Kyoko was clueless to what a manager was suppose to be like. After all, she was just suppose to walk around and make sure he didn't get into trouble, right?

_Oh... why didn't the President give me instructions on what to do?_

"I bet Tsuruga is just as annoyed as we are at how useless she is!"

"She's just walking around with him all day! Oh! How I would wish to trade spots with her?"

_And _why _would you do that? All he made me do was let me walk with him all day! He didn't tell me what to do!_

* * *

><p><strong>Ren's POV<strong>

I looked at the girl that was suppose to be my temporary manager. She yelled at me for dismissing her quickly before she even did anything, and now when I give her the chance, she literally doesn't do much. Does she even know what a manager does? They don't tag along with their charge just to see that they do everything alright.

I could see she doesn't understand what to do, as she seemed fine with letting me carry my own stuff. Although, it's fine by me. If she _did _want to help me, I would have refused. After all, I can't make a girl carry something. That wouldn't be what a gentleman would do.

And I am, after all, a gentleman.

Oh... I see some women are gossiping about her. Sheesh... she's right behind you. If you want to whisper about her, then do it in another room.

"I bet Tsuruga is just as annoyed as we are at how useless she is!"

No... I'm not thinking that at all. She just doesn't know what her job is. If she doesn't know what to do, then I can't really call her useless. It's her first time.

With the final scene of the day already taped, I quickly went back to my dressing room to go to my next job. Being interviewed at a talk show.

I saw that she was following me as always, and she could keep up with me. This was a surprise. Most of the managers that the President tested for me couldn't even keep up with me. Was it because I was too fast or was it because my legs are too long?

When she and I went to my room, she quietly stood to the side.

I swiftly changed out of the stage clothes I was given, practically throwing them on the floor and changing it back to my regular clothes: a light white jacket and some black jeans. After hanging the thrown clothes on the hangers, I combed my hair a little with a spray of water because of the static electricity that fuzzed it. When I got out, I soon found her still obediently by the door.

She looked at me with a blank look, and nodded. "I'm sorry."

Closing the door, we both sped up to go to my car. Opening the door, I buckled my seat belt. "What for?"

"For not knowing what a manager is suppose to do. I never even _heard _the word manager before... so, I'm so sorry."

With a few mutters, I could practically hear her saying, "I heard Yukhito san saying he was his manager, but I didn't know what a manager was! How embarrassing!"

"Yes, I guess that would be embarrassing, as you were the one who took this job."

She whipped her head, gasping at her own words being answered. "I'm so sor-"

"Don't apologize. You already did, and I don't need you doing it again." He turned the wheel for the next turn and replied, "I don't believe that a person should keep apologizing if they meant it the first time. They're just repeating the same apology."

When I heard a sigh of relief, and in the corner of my eye, I saw her smile. "Oh... that's good."

A few seconds later, a growl echoed in the car. At first, I thought it was coming from the outside, but then it sounded really loud. And near. Turning with a few shakes, I directed my attention to the red-faced girl clutching her stomach. Her blush went to her neck, and she mumbled a incomprehensible sentence.

But I was sure she said that she was sorry again.

* * *

><p><strong>Kyoko's POV<strong>

I couldn't help but refuse strongly when he said that his idea of a dinner was frog legs. NOOO! I can't eat frogs! Sure, they're not from the sea, but I can't eat animals that are water creatures. Heck, I can't eat meat!

It was when I realized where meat came from (I was stupid to not know) that I stopped eating them and became a vegetarian. I had no idea that you had to _kill _an animal in order to get the food. That scared me, and I hated deaths. So when Tsuruga san suggested it, I profusely refused his offer.

He was fine with this, as he seemed to be playing around with me. That little... Er... big? He was taller than me by _a lot, _so maybe calling him a little anything was offending?

We went to a family restaurant, and ordered. I wanted just a Caesar salad with a vegetarian lasagna. Tsuruga san decided that he wanted the same.

"Are you sure? And why aren't you in disguise? Someone could recognize you!" I whispered at him. I held my hand to block my conversation from others, as I saw it many times on TV. That's how you whisper, is it?

He shook his head. "I don't think so. Besides, we'll be quick. It's not like we'll stay here for long."

_You're kidding?.! You're Japan's famous star and you don't care that you'll be noticed? Girls around here will mob you! _She grumbled as she picked up her fork to dig into her arrived lasagna. _I guess being super famous didn't make him have a self ego. _

He ate quickly, but ate with a bored expression on his face. He didn't look happy like most people when they ate something they loved. Or maybe he didn't even like it? If he didn't, then why did he even order the same in the first place?

I soon was done, and wiped my mouth with a paper napkin. I saw he also finished, but it was until then that I heard more people talking behind me. Man... when will they learn that I can hear them, even when they _think _that they're whispering low enough.

"Is that Tsuruga Ren?"

"Yeah! It looks like it! But why would he be at a simple restaurant? Maybe it's not him?"

"And look at the girl he's with! That _can't _be him then! That girl... wearing such a gaudy outfit in public!"

_Well, I'm sooo sorry that you think that the Love Me uniform I wear is so terrible. I actually don't mind it. It kinda grows on you._

Tsuruga san placed money on the table, but something caught his attention.

"Hey... doesn't she look like she's our age? Maybe she dresses like that when she's outside of school?"

I quickly bit my lower lip painfully, and I reluctantly followed him to the car.

The ride was silent again, with his rule of no talking strong. Not like I would discuss it with him. The type of school I went to... it's not the type where people should go to. It's a pitiful excuse of an education.

Only learning how to walk elegantly; how to eat with grace; and how to govern a kingdom. And many other talents, but it makes the ocean not as big as it seems. Humans get more education than merpeople do. They learn more of the world, where we lack. We only know our large world, and nothing else.

Still... I would like to know the simple things that humans know.

Looking over at Tsuruga san, he was concentrating his attention to the road.

_Maybe it was faith that I know so little. If I knew more, what use would the knowledge be to me?_

* * *

><p>The days were the same, as Ren continued to do all the work. Even when Kyoko insisted to help him, he still refused.<p>

"No, I can't let a girl hold something this heavy." or "No, I don't think you have to. I can do it myself."

What?.! Did he think she was going to give up since he looked like he was doing alright. He seemed to be fine with everything, but there is no way he did the same with Yukhito! He seemed to help also, so why couldn't she do the same? Did he hate her that he didn't want her touching anything that was his, or to say that all of this was none of her business?

_I still haven't forgiven you for tricking me. Pretending to not understand sign language... HAH!_

Ren coughed a little, rubbing his throat.

Noticing this, Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows. Did he have a cold? Her brain was circling around, from worrying him, to hating him.

_I can't really hate him. If he knows sign language, then... wait. _Why _does he know sign language?_

Now that she thought of it, if there was a drama with sign language, they usually used actors that already know sign language. For Ren, he probably would only use simple ones if it was ever required. So that left the question: Why does he know sign language?

_Thank you so much, Yashiro san!, she signed happily. So, you learned sign language in high school?_

__Yes. I had a friend who was deaf at the time and he was learning it. He didn't want to be alone, so I came along to learn with him. I'm glad I picked it up!__

__Could that friend...__ Kyoko gasped, widening her eyes in realization. ._.. be Tsuruga san?_


	19. Discovery

**Ren's POV**

This girl... she's so stubborn. She tells me that I have a cold, and I tell her I never had one in my whole life. Then she says that that would mean I wouldn't know what the symptoms are. Really, is it really that important? I never had one before, and it's not like I'm catching the chicken pox and I'm endangered to die any moment. But she looked like I might. Or at least, she was so concerned.

Why?

When I got into a high fever, she panicked. She ran everywhere, going around buying some medicine and food for me. Even an ice pack. Everything that you need to treat a cold with, she seemed to have bought it. That must have been difficult, as the set that I was at only had buildings everywhere. There was barely any stores miles from here, so that surprised me that she managed to come back in time before I collapsed from exhaustion.

She managed to catch me... but I would have rather had let her prevent me falling with her head. Just using her head would have been easier, seeing as she was the one with the lighter body. But... she literally caught me. In a princess lift.

Letting the bags drop with a loud rustle, she rushed to my side, enough to grab my back and legs.

She managed to lift me up...

Unbelievable.

"Do you see why I keep asking to carry your bag?" she said.

Indeed I do. She's just like Rick, having this inhuman strength.

I managed to finish all of my scenes, though there was one rain scene where it worsened my cold. She noticed this, but I refused to quit. This was the only day that we could find to shoot this, and I wasn't going to delay it because of a little cold.

She saw this, but I saw her worried expression. Why did she have to look like that?

At the end, I managed to collapse. When I came to my senses, I was back in my room. What surprised me was that it was silent. Everywhere around me was silent.

Reaching by instinct, I touched my ears. I thought I was going to feel my hearing aids, but I felt that they weren't there.

Did she just take them out?

* * *

><p><strong>Kyoko's POV<strong>

I was cooking chicken noodle soup from a can (Oh! The poor chicken!) and began to stir with a wooden spoon. I didn't have the nerve to cut an actual chicken, or to see its blood at the grocery store. Seeing its blood might make me go insane. But I heard that this soup helped your throat get rid of whatever inflammation you had, and that it cleared your sinuses. Or so said the Internet.

So I decided to make it for Tsuruga san.

He was awfully light, as I noticed many men were. They seemed easy to carry, or was it because I was a mermaid? The gravity in the sea is higher than up top, as everything is heavier. The pressure the more you go down makes everything heavy. For me, I was able to lift anything easily. So was the surface a more lighter place?

_Everything around here is so light... The heaviest thing I ever lifted was an entire ship, but it was only because it required both my hands. The anchor it had only made me use one. For Tsuruga san... there is no way I can get a proper grip of him in time with only one arm._

I, as I was waiting for the soup to get ready, was sewing a bunch of dolls of him. Being bored and was passing the time, I noticed that Tsuruga san didn't have much that interested me in his house. No CD's, books, or even some Sudoku in the newspaper. What did he do all day, then?

At my sixth doll at the past hour, I went to chibi to the actual deal. And I really mean it. It looked exactly like him.

I always had my sewing kit handy just in case a loose button fell off or there was a rip at the seams. I, however, never thought of making dolls. It was only when I saw his sleeping face that I wanted document it into pieces of fabric. He looked so cute!

Damn... calling a star like him cute... but then again, handsome men can be cute, can't they?

Finishing the half sized Tsuruga san, I soon angled it so it would sit on the counter next to me. It was him with his grey pj's, an ice pad on his forehead, and a light blush from his cold. Smiling, I giggled as I poured the soup down into a porcelain bowl. Setting a plastic wrap so the heat wouldn't escape, I fumbled around in my kit. I made it in ten seconds flat, this accessory for the doll. Taking it out, it was a tiny hearing aid.

Placing it on top of the ear of the doll, and I laughed some more. He looked like a spy, if it weren't for the pj's. Maybe he needed some dark shades to accompany it...

"What's so funny about having hearing aids, huh?"

I gasped. I spun and saw the real Ren right in front of me. "N-nothing! It's just-"

"I know it was you that took my hearing aids. Give them back and... Hey!" He blinked at the sight of a half sized him. "Is that me?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you some crazed fan?"

"What! No!" I shook my head noisily that you might hear my brain smashing around in my head. I guess seeing all of the dolls in his kitchen was the cause of this misunderstanding. "I was bored and I had my sewing kit and I..."

"Ugh! Just give me back my-"

I didn't let him finish. Digging into the apron I was wearing, I revealed them to him. With my hands stretched out, I carefully cupped the fragile devices he wanted so badly. They were safe and sound.

"You can read lips?" I asked, setting them into his hands. I looked into his eyes. He looked so troubled. "That must be so difficult; it takes just as much time to read lips than it is to hear people's words. So you rely on these... but..." I smiled, "your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone."

He was speechless. I said the words slowly so he could pick them up, and I was sincere with my words. There was no pity, and I didn't look like he was someone to ignore. He was, after all, still human. Being deaf didn't make you less than who you were.

I waited for his words, but he started to lift his arms. His hands moved gracefully, sending me a silent message to me. Both of hands were to his lips, and he looked like he was blowing a kiss. But he wasn't. He was just signing thank you.

* * *

><p>In the living room, they both ate. He was on the couch, with the steaming warm soup balanced on his lap, and she was on the floor, eating a salad that was set on the table. They were signing to each other, as Ren was comfortable with signing rather than talking.<p>

Kyoko wrapped him around with a thick blanket, afraid that he might be cold. He was already cold, but his body was burning up. He didn't know, so she placed another ice pad on his forehead to lower it.

With his hearing aids on, he mouthed his words rather than spoke.

_Oh? So you just took off my hearing aids since I was sleeping? Ah... thank you. I hate it when I have these on; makes me hear too many noises by accident. And__ you're a vegetarian? _he signed. _Is that why you didn't eat any meat at the restaurant?_

_Yeah... _She moved her closed fist up and down gently. _I don't like the fact that you have to _kill _animals. I don't like killings in particular. _She kept emphasizing the sign "kill", making a peace sign in her right hand and her left hand always crossing with her opposite arm.

_Ah... but you made this soup for me. _Ren held up the bowl. _How did you do that?_

_From a can. _She proudly signed.

He gave a heartfelt chuckle at her expression. She was a vegetarian, but she seemed proud that she didn't cut any bones apart from a bird. Just from a can... really, what a funny girl.

She laughed herself, and signed, _Is it okay? I added celery and broccoli to it. I'm sorry if it's too healthy. _She grinned widely.

Shaking his head, he signed back, _No, it's fine. You can never underestimate the powers of canned soup._

_Really?_

_Really._

Angling herself so she can see him, she stood up. Going up to his covered form, she folded her knees and buried them, hiding them into his blanket. Grabbing his shoulders, she lifted herself to be near him, and opened her mouth. He did the same and... she placed a thermometer on his lips. He bit his lips, and waited for the beep to sound the quietness.

"Ah... it seems like your fever has gone down." She patted his head. "Good boy, good boy," she chanted. She laughed when she saw him looked annoyed. "I'm sorry. I did this to the last person I took care of and-" She gasped.

_"I quit! You're never going to accept me!" _

_"YOU MURDERER!"_

"Ugh..." Kyoko groaned loudly, closing her eyes in pain. She held her head, like she always did when this memory came into mind, and slid off of Ren. She bent down on the floor, feeling the pounding of the memory of that one man.

***Flashback***

_"... kun! You're sick! Stay in bed!" she cried out, slamming the man back onto the mattress. He was stubborn as always. He overdid himself when he was guarding by her door when she was sleeping. "No gets in; you don't have to guard", was what Kyoko always said.  
><em>

_"But... Kyoko sama! I can't let you take care of me! You're the princess and-"_

_"Get some rest!" she growled. Giving him a tiny slap, she gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "As your childhood friend, I want you to be healthy."_

_Blushing a little at her kiss, he murmured, "You have been watching love dramas again, haven't you?"_

_"Huh? How did you know?"_

_"Just a hunch." He knew she was clueless with many of the simpler things in life. But he enjoyed having her around. "Hey, Kyoko... Are you sure you don't need me to guard you? There has been some killings these days outside of the palace, and I'm kinda worried that it might strike the palace. Maybe I should-"_

_"NO!" She gasped. Shaking her head, she swam by his side and tucked him in. "I... It's probably nothing! Besides, I have been sneaking around to meet Moko san, and I'm still here in one piece!"_

_"But I can't risk your safety, now can I? I'll try to get better to protect you and-" He paused. Kyoko placed her forehead on his, giving him a close up of her worried eyes. "What is it?"_

_"You don't need to worry about me. That killer won't go for me."_

***End of Flashback***

_The last person I treated was the person who wanted to quit... he later came back to the palace when the killing happened. What a terrible... _A flash of light pierced through her.

"AGH!"

"Mogami san! Are you okay?"

She could feel his warm touch, but she soon felt the pulsing of her brain.

"NO! No... Please..." She shook, letting a few tears rolling down her cheek. "You're my friend... I'm sorry I did that..." she whispered. She did this over and over, apologizing to someone. It was definitely not Ren.

And she was definitely not herself.

She gripped her hair, tugging it, and letting a few pieces of hair fall. It was before then that she was reminded of that man's words.

_"YOU MURDERER!"_

_My childhood friend called me a murderer... I can't make him take back his words.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>In case you don't know what the sign language might look like when I am describing them, here is the layout.<strong>_

_**American Sign Language:**_

**_thank you- Use one hand to your lips and look like you're blowing a kiss. Just don't pucker up and blow. When you use both of your hands, it either means you're really grateful. You can use it to a larger audience you feel grateful for listening or so they can see your gesture as one hand might not be enough._**

**_yeah- Give the gesture as if you are knocking on a table slowly (not too slowly!). Either one knock or two— you decide! The most common is two._**

**_kill-Your index and middle finger are the only fingers pointing up in your right hand— kinda like a peace sign. Your left hand is flat and both of your hands go together, but they don't touch each other. Kinda like if you're clapping, but you missed the other hand and both of your hands are crossed. This is kinda like saying you are destroying peace.  
><em>**


	20. Batteries

_**I have been listening to "Sing Me A Love Song" by BarlowGirl over and over again as I was typing this out. It is an awesome song! Please listen to it!**_

_** And please don't say things like they're Christian so it would only be about God. I'm an atheist so you don't see me saying those things. (I hate those stupid comments on Youtube saying that they suck just because they're Christian). **_

_**There are other songs that really inspire others, so please listen to them. For those MMV or AMV makers out there, please note that most of these songs fit Skip Beat! For example, "Average Girl" and "Never Alone".  
><strong>_

_**I might make a Skip Beat! MMV with the songs above in the near future if I get enough chapters that fit the lyrics.**_

* * *

><p>Ren was still refusing for her to carry any of his belongings, but it was only because he couldn't just make a girl carry his stuff for him. Although girls might complain that that meant Kyoko was lazy, guys might think Ren was heartless if he made her carry them. Neither side would be satisfied for whatever she did, so she just did just that. She did nothing.<p>

When it was simple things like helping him decide what to eat, he accepted it. But to Kyoko... it didn't seem enough. This didn't seem like the complete job of what a manager is suppose to do. All she was doing was taking care of his cold. Did a manager even do that?

He was recovering, feeling better already. It might have been thanks to the sea anemone smoothie she made for him, the one that he was so fascinated when he first saw it. He drank it all, but soon cracked his glass saying that she didn't warn him that it tasted vile. It was? It tasted fine to her, or maybe humans aren't suppose to drink sea anemones?

Yukhito was also feeling better, after five days in bed, and was ready to get back on his feet. He explained that he could go back to work tomorrow, as he hoped that Ren didn't cause Kyoko to go insane with his hectic schedule.

"Ah... Ren's schedule is amazingly packed, that's for sure!" she joked on the phone. "But I didn't do a good job as manager..."

_"Oh? You didn't?"_

"No... He did most of the work..." she said dishearteningly, and she let her head go down in shame. Not like Yukhito could see it. "I'm so sorry..."

_"Are you sure you didn't do a good job? I heard that Ren caught my cold and you took care of him!"_

"Yes, I did... but that's about it."

_"Then you did a good job as his manager!"_

"H-huh?"

She could hear his fingers clacking on his keyboard. He must be up doing Ren's schedule. Huh... she had to remind herself to scold him for not resting. She just didn't feel like he would be threatened over the phone. But really...! He was still working when he should be recuperating!

_"You concentrated on his health. A manager should try to make sure their charges are healthy after all. Haven't you noticed that Ren doesn't eat much?"_

_Now that I think about it, Tsuruga san sometimes goes to those convenience stores for onigiri, but I didn't question it. _

"No..."

_"Well, he can go on _days _without eating!" _he exclaimed over the phone. He said, _"Don't let him eat any junk food, either!"_

And then went the click.

"So? What did Yashiro san say?" asked Ren. They were both getting in the car to his next job while she was talking on the phone with his manager. As she was talking to Yukhito, Ren wondered what his friend was talking about to her.

Kyoko turned to him and shrugged in response. "He told me to remind you to eat, that's all."

* * *

><p>The day ended quicker than what they expected. But then again, time flies when you're having fun. With Ren's mind muddled because of his cold, he had difficulties memorizing his lines than usual. Since Kyoko looked over his shoulder sometimes, she was able to read off one of his lines.<p>

Kanae, Kyoko's best friend in the world, was a master of memorizing. Having a photographic memory had its perks. After years of admiring her friend's talents, she suddenly was able to do the same. Except, that talent was mainly used to learning many _other _talents in a couple of hours rather than years (ex. playing the cello, learning how to speak Spanish fluently, etc...).

So back and forth, in a rarely walked staircase, the notorious actor and the Love Me member were both helping each other. This was one way Kyoko could help, which made her happy.

It was the end of the day when something unexpected happened.

"Oh, shoot..." Ren touched his ear, and grumbled. He pat his ear, adjusting the dial on his hearing aid, and got no sound. No matter which level of volume he was at, it sounded like no sound would come out.

Kyoko asked, "What? What's wrong?"

He couldn't hear her, but he could tell she was asking what was the matter. "The batteries are dead..." He patted his ear. "Damn... I got to..." He rummaged around on the bag that was slung over his shoulder and he mumbled some more. "I didn't buy any batteries yet?" He ruffled his hair. "I got to go to the President, then... Do you mind?"

She shook her head lightly. "No, that's fine."

* * *

><p>When they reached the President's mansion, he was still being extravagant at night. He was dressed as Captain Cook from Peter Pan, and Sebastien was... you guessed it. He was Peter Pan. They had the boat, the Native Americans, and the tiny fairy.<p>

Er... maybe it was robotic? It was always moving mechanically, pausing in each motion, so it probably wasn't authentic.

Although Lory was surprised that Kyoko found out one of Ren's secret, he was even more surprised that Ren didn't mind it at all. Knowing Ren, he thought he would try his best to keep that secret from the whole world. What made him change? Was it the fact that she could sign with him? Or was it for an entirely different reason?

"What? You forgot to buy batteries? And you're too lazy to go buy them yourself?" yelled the President. He tapped his flexible sword at Ren's shoulder and gave a hearty laugh. "Nah, I'm just joking. To buy zinc air batteries at night, the store would be closed by now, wouldn't it? I think I have some... While I go get them, can you keep a look out for Maria?"

With Kyoko signing his words, translating his speech, Ren asked, "Why?"

"She's been... mischievous these days. There's this acting class that LME has that is going to produce a film. It's called "The Angel's Words". In it has... a bit of text that reminds Maria of the death of her mother..."

Listening to this, Kyoko couldn't help but feel sorry.

* * *

><p><em>Speech therapy?<em>

_What? Don't look so surprised. You make it sound like I have Down Syndrome, or something._

_Sorry, it's just that I was wondering how you could talk so normally without raising your voice. That explains a lot._

She rubbed the nape of her neck. She was wondering how he could talk as if he wasn't deaf. Hearing most stereotypes, deaf people can't hear themselves talk. Because of this, their tone was always loud. That wasn't the case with Ren.

Since he took speech therapy, he quickly learned which volume to use. But since he took it when he was in high school, it didn't take long to learn. Had he had it since he was a child, that might have took longer if he had a lisp.

They were both "talking" to each other as they walked around the mansion, trying to find the hiding girl. Was she in the shadows of the curtains, or was she under a bed?

When they heard that she almost injured an actress, this caused them both to desperately find her. Whatever was in that script must have caused her to react this way. Otherwise, Maria would never had taken such preposterous actions!

"Maria! Maria, where are you!"

"Maria chan! Are you here?"

They both called out to her, but to no avail.

_Hm... she's not here. _Kyoko looked around, cursing the size of the mansion. _She _had a castle that was bigger than this, but at least she could swim in it. Swimming was faster than running or walking on earth. It would take forever at the rate they were going!

Suddenly, Kyoko gasped. "OH!" She dug into her bag and held out her half sized doll of—you guessed it— Ren.

_K-Kyoko? What are you going to do with that_? Ren was stammering with his signs, his expression on his face was clear.

Laughing at this, Kyoko clucked her tongue. "Ah... I made this doll of you, Ren! I think I'll give it to Maria chan!" she explained, in a quite high pitched voice. "It would be the perfect present for her, don't you think?"

"I... I guess?" Ren was confused, but he didn't hear her tone becoming shrill. The President hadn't come back yet with the batteries, so all he did was look at her lips the whole time. Which, in fact, looked really soft...

"Oh... I was thinking of giving it to her, but it seems she's not here. Maybe tomorrow, then..."

"I WANT IT!"

Coming straight towards them, speeding with the speed that could have released bubbles if she was swimming in water, was Maria.

Raising her arm so it would be out of reach, Kyoko let the doll be above her head. Smiling at the jumping girl, Kyoko giggled. "You want this doll?" She waved it in front of Maria, but maneuvered quickly so the girl wouldn't snatch it. "Then please, tell me why you have hurt those girls today?"


	21. A Hurt Revelation

Kanae was just walking by, just testing out how well she could use her legs, when she came across a room that caught her attention. She learned many things:

That Ren was deaf.

That Maria and Kyoko already knew this.

That Maria's mother died in a plane crash trying to get to her daughter's birthday party.

And that Kyoko slept at Ren's place.

"WHAT! Why did you... how... and he..." She started stammer. "What were you thinking?"

"Don't worry... I slept in the bathtub, not in his bed." whispered Kyoko, as she gave Kanae a little wave, trying to calm her down. "I was at his place since my Love Me job was to be his manager. And he was sick at the time."

"Doesn't mean that- wait... You took care of someone?" Kanae blinked. Her face softened. Patting her friend's head, she murmured. "Oh... that must have been hard..."

Kanae understood met Kyoko's childhood friend before, and he was the only one that she allowed Kyoko to talk on and on about. She was never annoyed that her best friend was friendly with this man, as he made Kyoko smile. That's all that she cared. But... he was the reason for her trauma.

Forcing a smile, Kyoko laughed. "No! It was quite easy! It's just my second time, so I..." she trailed off. She bit her lips and cringed. "It's... okay."

"And what's this about Tsuruga san being deaf?" Kanae decided to change the topic. "I just come to this room and I hear two topics: Maria hurting actresses and Ren needing batteries for his hearing aids. What is that about?"

It was silent, but Kyoko said, "He came here today to get batteries for his hearing aids. They kinda... died on him since the life on the battery went out and-"

"That still doesn't explain why he has hearing aids. There is no news saying that he _is _deaf."

There wasn't any way to turn around. Kyoko wasn't good at lying, never was, and lying to Kanae usually led to not talking to each other for weeks. Or days... depending on how Kyoko's tears affected the girl.

Ren was the one who spoke. He knew that Kyoko said she would keep his secret, but if a friend that she trusted overheard their conversation, then it was okay. Right?

"I use hearing aids because of an incident that happened when I was a teen, and I am _partially _deaf. I can still hear, but it's all mumbles to me. It's no big deal!" He gave out a fake laugh. He hated talking about this. But if it was to let someone to shut the conversation, he might as well say something.

This was none of Kanae's concern, so she let this one go. "Whatever. It's nothing to me. I won't tell anyone, as they won't believe me." She soon turned her attention to Maria. "Now... what's this about hurting actresses?"

The girl jerked her head, pursing her lips in anger. "I... It's because of that stupid scene!" She forcefully gripped her hands, feeling the ice in her heart freezing up her veins. She had to let it out. But would these people understand her? Would Ren even understand? "It's so stupid! The main character took another person's life!"

***TWITCH!***

"How is it that people around her are still loving her after what she has done? Even the sister is taking her side, saying that it's not her fault. They should be blaming her!"

***TWITCH!***

"And in the end, the father forgives her! He still _loves _her after what she has done! There is no way in the world that someone can be like that!"

***PANG!***

That did it. Kyoko's eyes clouded, as she shot her hand up to her mouth. All of those words made her sick.

_Took another life.__.. how could they still love... should blame..._

_No one could forgive me... this... no one thinks that way!_

"Kyoko?" Kanae shot a look at her friend's frozen form. She could see her getting traumatized again, as she was sweating. "Kyoko!"

Her legs gave out, as she slumped down to the floor. Kyoko gave small tears, feeling it cool down her hot cheeks that were burning up. Bending down, she looked up to everyone that was staring at her. She couldn't help but react every time someone made her remember of...

AGH!

Why did she had to always fall apart every time? WHY?

* * *

><p>"Is she going to be okay?" asked Ren. He was adjust the volume on his hearing aid. The President came back and saw Kyoko crying, but with one look, he could see the reason of what made her break into tears. "She seems to be crying a lot lately."<p>

"She cried in front of you before?" Kanae sighed. "Oh... was it when she was taking care of you?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"I'm her best friend. I know these things." Looking up, she gripped the script in her hands tightly. Hearing the roll of the stacks of paper, she closed her eyes slowly. "Long ago, the last person she took care of was her childhood friend. The last time she saw him, he called her a name. It's because of that that she regrets what she did."

"So he called her a name. It's not something to cry about." He held out a hand to take the script, as Kanae was finished memorizing it. Reading it himself, he could see why Maria hated it. The character, Angel, was loved in the end. It was too quick that the protagonist could be forgiven. It was unnatural.

_"She took another person's life! How is it that people around her are still loving her after what she has done?"_

_I get it. After taking a person's life, no one should be forgiven._ Feeling his eyes going heavy, he muttered to himself, "No one."

Kanae stared at the man next to her. They were both going to act the scene that Maria disliked, along with Kyoko. He, however, had to act a girl's part. He didn't mind, as this was the only way for Maria to understand.

But they had to change it to Maria's liking. And how were they going to do that? Even if they did that, they couldn't all do it so they knew what to say. They would all have something different in mind. But then again, when you talk naturally, you aren't even prepared of what you are going to say. Your words can be from a script or from the top of your head.

A creak came as Kyoko opened the door. Rubbing her eyes, she bowed and said, "I'm sorry for acting like that. It's..." She paused. Looking down on the ground suddenly, she held out her hand. "Um! Can I see the script?"

"S-sure?" Ren handed it over. He was done with it, but he still didn't know how to phrase it so Maria could understand that... that you can be loved after committing someone's death. It wasn't on purpose, but if someone blamed you, then it's hard to tell yourself that.

_I know I can't. I killed Rick. Even Tina said so._

Looking quietly at what was already in the script, Kyoko saw the darkness. It was just a bunch of simple words, but they all reminded her of the crime she committed. Taking innocent people's lives... Even _his_... How could you be forgiven? It was impossible.

_Maria's father doesn't forgive her for the death of her mother. But it wasn't her fault. She never asked for anything in her life, and when she did, someone died. Her father says that if she never did that, then Lina have lived. But... her mother willingly went on that plane. She wanted to grant her daughter's first wish. Is that so bad?_

Looking back, Kyoko wondered if they changed the script, how would the others respond? Would they give her the reactions she wanted? And _how _did she made it possible that they did?

_It would take too long to think of another script, so I might as well keep this script._

* * *

><p>"What! We have to say the same lines!" Maria exclaimed. When Kyoko said that she was going to make Maria act out the scene she hated the most, but changing the lines, she thought, <em>Oh, sure. But I'm not going to like it. <em>This was even worse! What was the point of acting out the same script?.!

"Sure! After all, we're making Tsuruga san talk like a girl, so we should make him get... Kotomi's part! All she has to do is tell Angel that it's impossible for a parent to hate a child and so forth!"

"So who plays Flora?" She became skeptical. "Is it you or Moko san?" After finding that pet name cute, she decided to play along and call Kanae the name that only Kyoko used. Now she was the one using it!

Kyoko smiled. "Me." She pointed at herself with a smile pasted on her face.

Flora was the one who was _now _going to _hate _Angel, not forgive her.

"Alright. I guess that's fine. But remember, you have to make me convinced that-"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get one with the scene."

Inhaling, Kyoko looked at the sidelines of the President and Sebastien. After comforting her for a couple of minutes, Sebastien still wasn't certain that she should be doing this. But she had to make Maria see that her father didn't hate her. But could Kyoko do that...? After all she...

_Although, a person like me might not be able to do it, I'll at least try!_

**[**_Angel was brought over to the side as Kotomi reached out a chair for her to sit in. After the funeral, Angel refused to talk to anyone. Not even her sisters. This was a first as she was being consoled._

_"Angel, you mustn't blame yourself for what happened. Please don't. It's not your fault."_

_Angel looked at her "sister" in the eye and shook her head. "That's not true!"_

_"But it is!" Tomoyo, her older sister, exclaimed. "Why would you say such a thing?"_

_"Because! Everyone tells me that, in front of a kid like me, but behind my back, they blame me!" She gritted her teeth, slamming her hands onto her thighs. She shook, almost about to cry. "Th-they... they lied to me. I can't trust adults!"_**]**

The last line wasn't part of the script, but it was Maria's self taking over her. She couldn't trust adults, who thought that simple lies would make a child feel better. If it had no truth, then it wouldn't make someone see that it wasn't their fault. To say it wasn't her fault, then behind her back, say it was... who was she going to trust? Definitely not those stupid adults, who thought kind words that had hatred underneath could make her feel better.

Lory saw this, and he couldn't help but wish to reach out for her. She experienced so much at such a young age. Her father telling her that it was her fault... she was just a child. Why did everyone put the heavy blame on her? Did they have no feelings? Did they not know what would happen if they heard her words?

**[**_"What!" Tomoyo gasped. "But Angel...!"_

_"Even Father hates me!"_

_Kotomi shook her head, patting Angel lightly. She wanted to deny this so badly. Just what made her think that? "Angel... there is no such thing. No parent could ever hate his_ _child."_**]**

And this was true to Ren. His parents loved him very much, and were still loving him today. He told them that until he was able to reach to the goal of reaching to the top without the help of his parents, he would visit them. And he did last year. So... he wanted to tell Maria that her father didn't hate her. Even if he did had to act it out to her, to give some sense to her.

"Do you understand, Angel? I don't think any parent in the world could ever hate his child deliberately."

"PFFT! HAHAHA!"

Snapping back, Ren and Kanae saw Kyoko laughing hysterically. She gave a small giggle in the beginning, smirking a grin behind them, but then went into a fit.

"Wh-what's so funny, Flora?" he asked. His eyes widened in surprise as the innocent girl he befriended was laughing at a time like this.

"Oh, nothing. It's just... I heard that being said numerous of times; it's getting overused and not so effective the more times you use it." She showed herself, and gave a death glare. "Right?"

In instinct, even though they shouldn't have been scared, the three backed away as she came closer. So she really meant it when she said she was going to follow the script. It was just different expressions.

**[**_"Oh, Angel... You're such a smart girl. From the bottom of your heart, you knew that no one could forgive you for what you have done. But Angel, Father is still human; you must understand that. He may say things intentionally that could hurt people. So you're right." Flora stood strong and smirked. "Even parents can hate their own child."_**]**

Looking at the confident girl, he saw that Kyoko wasn't hesitating at that line. Even though in the script, she was suppose to say the complete opposite, Kyoko seemed to act natural. It was as if she was speaking the truth... that parents can hate their own children.

_I never had parents like that, so I wouldn't know what it feels like... to have parents that hate you. They were always loving, always idiots in love. But... Mogami san. Could it be that her parents never loved her?_

"Yes, Father _does _hate you."

_What was she thinking?.! _Everyone almost gasped at this, as they couldn't believe what they were hearing. Sure, Maria kept saying that her father hates her... but to confirm it...! That was too much!

They all waited for her reaction, for whatever she was going to say. Was she going to refuse, or believe her? After all, Kyoko was the only person so far in her life that said what she has been saying to herself this whole time.

Maria, no matter how much she tried, felt a dull pain forming in her heart. Why? It's not like this was her first time thinking this. Her father even blamed her, so that meant he hated her, right? Right?

But why did she feel angry? Why did she wanted to tell this person... that what she was saying was a lie? So why...

Why did it hurt to hear her words from someone else?

"Ma-Maria!"

Hearing the President's voice, she gasped as she felt unwanted tears drip from her eyes. Wiping them, she still couldn't erase them. They just kept coming. Why? Haven't she been telling herself that her father hated her? What did it matter hearing it from someone else? Everyone never did that before, but how was this any different? Shouldn't she be glad that there was an honest soul out there? So why... what was to cry about?

They all stared as she cried some more, but Kyoko wasn't going to stop just because she made a little girl cry.

"Why are you crying? You were just telling Kotomi and Tomoyo that Father hated you. I just said your words to you, so what's the big deal? What, only _you _can say that he hates you? _I _can't?" She shrugged her shoulders, her hands in the air, as she gave an exasperated sigh. "Geez, this is why he hates you. You're always such a drama queen!"

"LIAR!" Maria gasped. She shot her hands up to her mouth. _What did I just say?_

Kyoko tilted her head, but gave a smirk.

This didn't go unseen, as everyone saw it. Was this her plan?

"O~h? Why do you say that? Why the change of heart?"

_Damn! I messed up! Angel isn't suppose to say that! Think, Maria! Think! Oh! I know!_

"But Father always keeps a photo of me every day!" _I remember one of the actresses saying that!_

"It's not just yours. He keeps _everyone__'s _photos with him. It's not just yours." She pointed out, folding her arms.

_That girl...! She switched the lines! _Ren's face was blank, but in his head, he was gaping in surprise. _Is this girl really an amateur? Even I couldn't think of anything! _He then paused. _No wait... I couldn't think straight becaus__e of Maria's words. They reminded me of the crime I committed, but this girl... She never had that happen to her. I shouldn't be surprised._

"N-no matter how busy he is, he always goes to my piano recitals!" Maria exclaimed.

Kyoko didn't look fazed. "Of course he would. It's _required_. If it was optional, then he wouldn't go in the first place. But it would look bad if he didn't go, since your school organizes them. The problem is parents that _don't _go!" she said.

And an imaginary cement block came tumbling down, sending Maria down to the ground.

"Mari- I mean, Angel!" Ren bent down, trying to lift her up. She was really in the deep.

_Her _father never went to her rehearsals.

"H-he... gave me a birthday present..." she choked a reply.

"I was the one who chose it for you. That goes to show he didn't care what you liked!"

Another cement block came crashing down, sending her under the floor boards. She was sinking deeper and deeper.

_Her _father gave her this weird doll that she didn't even like. That just showed he didn't care...

"H-he..." She lowered her head. She was close to giving up. "He sends me an e-mail every day."

"But isn't it the same every time? Doesn't it take just a few minutes to copy what he has type up before? That means he doesn't even take it seriously. There's no love in-"

"YOU'RE WRONG!" She didn't want to hear it anymore! She didn't want someone to say bad things about her father. Only _she _could say all of his flaws, and no one else! "Sure, it's the same every time, but he always sends them without fail!"

_Maria.._. Lory watched this, and blinked repeatedly. Maria, who kept saying her father hated her, was defending him.

Kyoko stared at Maria, and almost wanted to cry again. Why were simple things bringing back those buried memories?

***Flashback***

_"Dear Father, how was your day? It's rainy today up at the surface, but I bet in the Pacific Ocean, it's sunny at the top!" Smiled a small Kyoko, who was typing her latest message to her father on her laptop. Sebastien was watching over her, and laughed as she kept going to spell check._

_Her father didn't want to forget her, and still wanted her to know him even if they were apart._

_"I can't wait for your reply tonight!" she typed back, crudely, but she meant every word._

***End of Flashback*  
><strong>

"Ah... I..." Kyoko stuttered. Her mind went blank of what to say next. She was going to break down again. Her breathing became uneven, and her eyes unfocused.

Sebastien quickly noticed this, and, even with his green tights of Peter Pan, stepped in front of her. "Kyoko! You can stop now!" He shook her lightly, as she stood still.

"No... I... can't. Not until Maria... learns that her father doesn't hate her," stuttered Kyoko. She collapsed on the floor, panting even more.

"But... saying to her that her father _does _hate isn't going to-"

"It's reverse psychology. It works all the time on TV," was her reply.

"... Kyoko. It only works if the person doesn't know that they were using it," Sebastien explained.

"Really? I didn't know that!" Kyoko laughed weakly. She turned to Maria, breathing heavily, and asked, "Maria, can I ask you something? Before I go unconscious?"

"Y-yes?" Maria came up to the girl. She saw Kyoko cry many times, and all of those times was because of what she done in the past. Whatever it was, it wounded Kyoko deeply that she had to tear up at every word. "What is it?"

"Have you ever talked to your father properly? Have you ever once talked to him when you thought he hated you?"

"No, I haven't."

Kyoko gave a weary smile. Her eye lids were slowly closing. "Maria... Your father doesn't know you well because of that wall you built between you both. Of course he would say the same thing over and over again. He wants to learn more about you, to apologize to you." Kyoko dropped her body to the floor and asked, but she wouldn't have heard the reply. But she asked anyway. "At the end of each message, does it say he loves you?"

Kyoko collapsed, already tired from all of the tears she had shed. There were more to come, but... It was natural to feel this way, wasn't it?

***Flashback***

_"...N-no! I... didn't do this! ...kun! Please, you have to believe me!" Kyoko shouted, though with a knife in her hand and blood everywhere, it was hard to believe._

_"You... Your father, my mentor, sent me to be with you since he wanted to protect you. He wanted you to always be safe; that's why he made me be your friend! But... on the day that he was going to show himself to you... you killed him... You killed everyone!"_

***End of Flashback***

Kyoko saw her friend's face, through all the blood that she spilled on that day. He, through gritted teeth, opened them and his fangs sharpened. He cried out...

_"YOU MURDERER!"_

* * *

><p><em><strong>I have no idea if today I'm going to post the next chapter. If I don't, then maybe tomorrow of next week. I finished my one assignment, but another teacher from a different subject gave me another. Damn... <strong>_

_**Anyway... Another song recommendation! I'm really weird, as I listen to the SAME song over and over again when I do a chapter. Meh, it calms me down. For this chapter, it was "Anthem of the Angels" by Breaking Benjamin. Another awesome song! Please listen and tell me what you think! (Or don't tell me what you think! Either way is fine! XD)**_

_**PLEASE READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE! I'LL PROBABLY EXPLAIN AT SOME POINT HOW MARIA KNOWS REN IS DEAF IN THE NEAR FUTURE! SO DON'T ASK! THE SAME WITH**_** WHO _IS THE ONE CALLING KYOKO THE MURDERER!_  
><strong>


	22. Small Talk

******_I changed the summary, as a suggestion from an anonymous reader. I realized that the story isn't going to be about revenge...  
><em>**

* * *

><p><strong>Kyoko's POV<strong>

I was always crying my eyes out. It was never under the sea, as there was no such things as tears floating in the water. I mean, think about it. You're surrounded by water. Even if you cried, no one would be able to see it.

But up at the surface, I finally experienced sadness that is expressed with tears. Crying. Sadness. When I was sad for my mother's ignorance for me, I would go to Moko san and she would allow me to hug her, even if she would complain later. This became worser when I killed... him. My father.

I never even knew him besides the e-mails I sent him on both the computer and the cellphone.

Life had evolved ever since technology plunged underwater. Although it wasn't the same materials, it had similar features. As these wondrous gadgets began their lives to us merpeople, I was able to contact my father. Whether it was from the surface's computer or our conch cells, I could use both to talk to him.

It was hard at first, as human phones obviously wouldn't connect to a merman's. But with a couple of adjustments, anything is possible! I was glad, as my conch never worked up top. It would die on me, and all I heard was the soft winds and the ocean. When ever I spoke into it, I got no response. Only when this device was submerged underwater, did it ever work as desired.

As I got access to talk to my father, I was thrilled.

Sebastien knew my father, as he was saved by him when he was about to drown one day. He was abandoned at sea, overboard, as his parents wanted nothing to do with him. They assumed, by some odd culture, that something must be wrong with you if you were talented. It was like the witch hunt all over again. If you sunk and drowned, you're human. If you didn't and you were alive, you were a witch! Satan must have saved you! Sebastien was saved by us hidden beings of the deep, but that didn't make him any different than us.

He was, after all, just human.

Sometimes, I wonder how humans can be so manipulated by a couple of words... Kinda like I can never forget... his words. My dear friend... I'm so sorry. Even if I knew that Father was your mentor, and you were his apprentice... even if my father stayed at our palace than the one in the Pacific, it wouldn't change. He would still die... by my hands.

It started out as a phobia, as I kept seeing blood everywhere. Other times, not so much, as this was a eat by eat world. Sharks can eat fishes, and frog fishes can camouflage to capture their startled prey. In the sea, the ocean, even a tiny river, you would always see that.

But... to see a thought-to-be mythical species disappearing because of the arrogance of its own... that was where it started.

I would see so many of us trying to kill each other, even when we already know that we were diminishing. So many of our doctors have started to ignore the poor, and so many of the rich have begun to snub their pride right into them. What was happening to our world? And what I did... was it any different? If others were to do that already, then I saved them the trouble. They were going to get killed anyway, so what did it matter that they had to banish me? Was what I did any different?

What was wrong with me? It's like I'm trying to say that it was a good thing I killed them...

_But no one deserves to die. Even if I hated everyone in that palace; even if I disliked the fact that Mother refused to let me learn the _true world_, and didn't let me learn the basics, that doesn't give me the right to kill. _

From under the covers, and onto a soft bed, as I normally always was sent to its haven, I open my eyes. I turn, as a familiar presence attracted me like a magnet. I saw his face. He knitted his eyebrows. He's sitting in a chair next to my bed, and he's saying something to me. But I couldn't hear them.

Sebastien...

Why do you still worry about me? You were saved by my father, and you were sent by him to take care of me. You respected him, just like my childhood friend did. Why don't you call me a murderer like he did? Shouldn't you abandon me, disown me from your life like Mother did?

So why do you still stay by my side after I told you that I killed Father? I just don't get it.

* * *

><p>It was already morning, and Ren began to rub his eyes. He stayed over, as it was late already when he came over for some batteries for his hearing aids. When he decided to leave, the President insisted that he should stay. If he was drowsy enough, he might bang his head onto the wheel from nodding off, and plunge the car off the bridge and into the ocean, as what he was told by the President.<p>

_I don't think I would do that... _thought Ren, but he didn't voice his reply out. He didn't mind staying, as he was worried about Kyoko.

She was crying... He saw her express her pain deeply with those same tears when she suddenly remembered something while taking care of him, but she immediately went back to normal. When he told her that she could rest, she nodded, but went into the bathroom. He thought she was kidding when she called out that she was going to sleep in his tub, but she wasn't joking at all. He was too sleepy and too sick to correct her that she should be in his guestroom.

_I don't think normally... people would _literally _sleep in a bathtub. Especially not willingly._

He, indeed, found it odd. When he woke up the next day, she seemed alright. She didn't have red brimming her eyes, and her body showed no indication of soreness. In fact, she looked relaxed. Ren quickly assumed that she would be cold, and might even have a flu from hypothermia, but she looked as if she was never in the water. But she had to! Her hair was still dripping at the time!

_Then again, she could have been joking... She might have snuck back into the guestroom, and took an early shower._

But that couldn't be. When he woke up, and placed his hearing aids, he never even heard the pattering sound of the hot shower. So what was she doing in there?

Ren was still wondering of the odd girl, but his mind kept rewinding and seeing her cry. She never even finished the script. She looked as if she was troubled the moment Maria chan exclaimed that her father really _did _love her, even when she normally assumed that her father hated her.

_Mogami san became awfully pale when Maria admitted that her father would always send the e-mails without fail... That's odd. No matter how many times I look at this, it doesn't seem like that it would make anyone..._

He stopped thinking. As his fist was on his chin, still contemplating, he saw he walked himself to the President's library. That's weird. He didn't even remember getting off from the bed!

In front of the towering doors that led to the innards of the library, stood Sebastien, Kanae, Lory, and Maria. They looked worried, whispering to each other in concern. What was going on?

This was what Ren asked, and Lory was the first to explain. "Kyoko locked herself in the library for 5 hours straight... she hasn't come out once."

"5 hours?" What was to do in a library for 5 hours? Well, other than reading that is. But it couldn't have be that, if the four were that concerned.

"Oh... what am I going to do! I asked Nee san if she wanted to have a bento at lunch and she blanked out!" Maria cried. "I was trying to lighten the mood, as I made her cry last night, but I didn't think she would suddenly lock herself up! What did I do wrong!" She buried her face into her hands.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Maria... and—Nee san?" She raised an eyebrow. Did she hear that right? "Did you just call Kyoko... Nee san?"

"Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

Kanae was quiet for a second before composing herself. "Never mind..." she grumbled. "Anyway, I'm sure that Kyoko did that because she never heard of a bento."

Silence...

"SHE NEVER HEARD OF A BENTO?" Maria screamed. Ren had to cover his ears, and adjust the volume on his hearing aids, as her shout screeched into the amplifier. "But... she... Is there no bentos at... there?" She was referring to the sea, as she saw Ren beside her.

"No... we don't have bentos." Kanae laughed. "She probably realized she is missing so much, as she's going to hear a lot of new words. She never, after all, went to school before."

And even more silence...

Lory covered Maria's mouth before she could give everyone a concussion. "Ah... now when I think about it... Sebastien? Aren't you her tutor? You told me before, but you never told me what you tutored her in." Lory tilted his head. "I find it odd that a mistress could be missing so much of the basic knowledge of our world. What exactly are you teaching her?"

Before Sebastien could say more, Ren interrupted. "Kyoko is a mistress? But she said she wasn't!"

* * *

><p>After her final hour of studying every single textbook that was in the President's library, Kyoko was done! She completed every single thing that a human student was suppose to know all the way to the university level! She was surprised that the President kept all of his textbooks, even buying several of the same copies, but didn't think much of it. What surprised her the most was how long it took.<p>

"I thought I was going to finish in an hour, but there were so many books and worksheets that students have. Why is there so much? Can't people just memorize it all?"

Kyoko closed the biology textbook that she finished reading, and pushed her chair back. After reading just textbooks and some encyclopedias so she could understand all the different human terms, she felt that she was able to be alright. She wasn't going to panic again when she was in a stump of what a word meant. And if she did, there was the beauty of the Internet! Or at least, the infamous pocket dictionary.

She padded her way to the door, but her hand hanged itself at the knob at Ren's voice.

"Kyoko is a mistress? But she said she wasn't!"

_Huh? What makes him say that? Did my saying that I wasn't to Ruriko confused him? _

"Um... oh! The President knows that Kyoko plays my mistress, and he probably thought she really _was _a mistress!"

_And that's the Sebastien's voice... Oh my. I should confront them before this gets out of hand._

Turning the knob, she peeked out. Everyone was there, and they were startled to see her. She smiled, and said, "In a way, I guess you can say I'm a mistress, and Sebastien is my butler."

After recovering his shock, Ren asked, "But before..."

"It's because you kept saying that "rich people" have no talent. That they pay their way to get into things. When I said I wasn't, you started acting as my friend. Which is kinda ironic, considering you're rich too."

"I don't "pay my way into things". I just hate people that do that." Ren turned, and then sighed. "It would explain a lot with your behaviour... No, actually, it doesn't explain all of it."

This caused Kyoko to completely show herself. She was wearing a blue sundress, even though it was spring! Sure, it was March, but it was still slightly cold! She didn't look all blue, not cold at all, but that might have been because she was wearing a jacket over top. But it was still light.

"Oh? Why not?"

Ren was about to ask about how she slept in his bathtub, but was interrupted by Maria.

"Um! I still haven't been able to thank you for last night!" She gave a small bow. "I... It's true I never talked to my father! I never replied to him, so he really _doesn't _know me very well. And..." She gave a little blush. "He does say "I love you" at the end of each e-mail."

Kyoko clasped her hands together and gave a warm grin. She bent down at Maria's level, and gave a small kiss on the forehead. "Do you see? Your father really _does _love you."

Maria blushed even more, as Kyoko just _kissed _her! A kiss! Did she have no modesty at all?.!

"Y-yes!" Her blush quite evident.

Kyoko smiled at this, many of her friends were thinking how she might be a play_girl_. She didn't play the hearts of men, but she was able to affect the hearts of girls.

_Really... Her father's genes are kicking in. Since he's from the Pacific Ocean, he would have some similarities to Americans. Her mother is from the Sea of Japan, so she got her modesty there. It's an on and off thing, whether or not she'll act as if she is unintentionally flirting with someone. _Sebastien gave off a small laugh.

Kyoko saw this, and laughed herself. "Oops, sorry." She lifted herself up, and played her hair over an ear. "It looked natural to do that. I seen it so many times in the movies the President showed me!"

...

Sebastien grabbed Lory's collar and shook him silly. "PRESIDENT! YOU ARE CORRUPTING MY MISTRESS!"

* * *

><p>Sawara san was getting calls for all of the talents of LME but there was one call he wasn't certain about. Kyoko and Kanae weren't in a specific section from the beginning, so they automatically were in the Talent Section, the section he was in charge for. He shouldn't be surprised when the same call was asked to the Acting Section also, as another actor was there.<p>

"So... let me get this straight." He had his head resting on his ear, holding it with just his arm as support. "You want Ren, Kyoko, and Kanae in _Fuwa Sho_'s PV?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>... Ever since I saw Ren in that demon-like outfit, I have always wanted him to at least star in something in that outfit! Even if it is in Sho's... *grumble grumble* I still haven't written how Maria knows Ren's deaf... I might forget at some point, but it will come around! I guarantee it! Or not...<strong>_


	23. Step Into A Lost Love

_**I don't think anyone would think this but... I haven't made Kyoko dye her hair yet. If this might confuse anyone.**_

_**And for those who haven't seen Ren in a demon outfit, I suggest you do! Not BJ though... that's not the one. Just search on either Google or DeviantArt and it should pop up! If you just type Skip Beat! on the search engine in DeviantArt, the pic is usually on the first page.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>It wasn't long before the three got together to hear their offer. Kyoko, however, was not amused.<p>

"HAH! F-Fuwa Sho's PV?.!" Kyoko shook, but not in excitement. She was practically shooting her anger at poor Sawara san! "Why him? That ungrateful _boy!_" she spat in disgust. "There is no way I want to be in _his _PV!"

Kanae shrugged. "I only want to be in jobs with Kyoko." she stated. She already appeared in many acting jobs, but retired. Although she loved acting—she acted when she was just a kid—she decided to stop and teach others, as it was a way to expand the world of acting.

"So I take you both as a no..." Sawara sweated a little. "C'mon! This is _Fuwa Sho! _If you appear on his PV, then this will give you major publicity!"

Kyoko groaned. "I don't really care if I get publicity or not..." she grumbled.

_Y-you're kidding me! Then why are you at a talent agency, then? _"I-I see... Well, what about you, Ren?"

Ren stood still, tilted his head, and smiled. "Who's Fuwa Sho?"

Everyone, and I mean _everyone, _in the room, except for Kyoko, Kanae, and Yukhito, fell down to the floor. They couldn't believe it. The most famous man in Japan didn't know who was Fuwa Sho? Then again... Sho was rank 7 in popularity... But even so! How could you not know him?

Yukhito gave a laugh at his charge. He was glad to be well again, and his friend just made his day. It was _so _obvious that Ren wouldn't bother knowing celebrities. He wasn't the type to watch TV or read magazines as he was always concentrating on his work. It shouldn't be too surprising to hear Ren asking who the ranked 7th celebrity was.

"H-he's a popular teen singer that just entered the entertainment industry a few months ago."

"Oh, really?" He was still smiling his shining rays at everyone. "And Mogami san refuses so much at the offer? You aren't going to get these every time, and they aren't going to wait until you accept." He was still smiling when he went and grabbed her wrist tightly, yanking her to see a closer look at his face. His. Scary. Smiling. Face. "How about as a challenge for yourself, you accept?"

* * *

><p>Kyoko had her veins popping everywhere on that day. They were all in Ren's car, as he was driving to Fuji TV for location shoot. Like most shoots, it was going to be indoors.<p>

The mermaid was still mumbling from the moment she went into his car, buckled her seatbelt, and from the time she got out and into the building. "I don't want to meet him. I hate him," she mumbled, growling at Ren. "Why did I even accept this offer!"

"Because I forced you to," Ren said bluntly, keeping his smiles in check. This annoyed Kyoko, as she didn't want a handsome man smiling. The worst that could happen was his smiles would make your legs go weak or you were burned to death from its brightness. It was probably the second choice that was going to happen to Kyoko.

Was he angry? For some reason, her anger radar sensed anger in his direction... but he was smiling! Or was he acting like he wasn't angry? He could do that, as he was a top-notch actor.

She couldn't help but worry the days away as she had to see _him _again. The person she saved... and he just threw her away! If only she had her head screwed on tight, she would have realized that he wasn't worth saving! He should have drowned! She never told him it was her that saved him, but now when she thought about, she didn't want him to.

He would think she only loved him because of that tale that a mermaid saved a prince, and through hardships, they fell happily ever after... Maybe she never loved him at all?

Kyoko was still in thought, when she was reminded that she brought Sebastien with her. Sho never knew her voice was taken in order for her to be with him, so he never heard her voice before. She never wanted him to hear it ever, so she needed someone to translate for her. Kanae couldn't do it, and she couldn't make Yukhito or Ren to waste their time helping her. So Sebastien was her last resort.

_Love... what a wasteful feeling. _Kyoko turned at a glance of a poster of her long ago love. He never loved her back... she wasted those months loving him for nothing. _I was stupid to think a killer would ever find love. The best I could get is if another killer loved me. But that's ridiculous. We would both not want to love, as we both think we don't deserve it._

Kanae saw that Kyoko was in her thoughts, so she said something to break her out of it. "Maybe it wasn't him."

Kyoko stood still. She blinked, and turned to face her. "What?"

"I said that maybe it wasn't him." Kanae flipped her hair and looked straight at Kyoko. "Your only lead is blond hair, isn't it? And it was a storm, so you probably didn't get a good look at what he looked like. And it was near... that ocean..." she said, forgetting momentarily what the Pacific was. Recovering, and shaking her head, she exclaimed, "If you know it wasn't him, then you don't have to feel like you wasted about a year on the jerk!"

Nodding sadly, Kyoko sighed. "I guess you're right. A lot of foreigners aren't brunettes or have black hair, so I shouldn't have quickly assumed that it was him. After all..." Kyoko popped another vein. "I was _certain _that _he _was a natural blond! He must be! I could tell from all those lightnings flashes flashing on his back! It didn't look as if it was dyed like _his_!" She spat.

"Great... I'm glad you're not sad again..." Kanae patted Kyoko on the back and they immediately went to their destination room.

And that only left Sebastien alone with Ren and Yukhito.

The two men turned to Sebastien, with upped eyebrows, and asked, "What was that all about?"

* * *

><p>Sho sat with his manager, but he was staring intensely at the girl that went away into her dressing room with another girl. Kyoko...<p>

When he first saw her at the beach, she looked happy to see him, although she couldn't talk. When he realized this, he immediately assumed that she was those autistic children he heard about. There was some spirit day sometimes in honour for these people, and people that _could _talk wouldn't speak for a day. His school once held this, but others didn't, as it wasn't that important.

Sho participated, so he knew the difficulties of not speaking, even if it was only for a day he experienced it.

She always looked happy when she was with him, and although she was a complete stranger before, the more they met, the more they understood each other. Sho never got frustrated that he couldn't understand her, as he guessed all her speech. He normally got it right. And other times, she would write on a notebook. And sometimes, she would type on her cellphone and send her texts to him.

She was always by his side.

She was always smiling when she was with him.

And she suddenly left.

Sho ran everywhere for her, as soon as he saw the empty apartment. Was it because of his self-ego? If it was, he would change it. He needed her! She was helpful, always there! She would never leave him, as he knew she loved him!

Knowing this, he immediately made her his maid. What else was he going to do? She was plain, and she was the best useful toy to use around. He couldn't just have her hanging around him, and making everyone think she was his girlfriend. She was a terrible match!

Finishing the makeup, he emerged as a demon. Chains on his clothing, long black fingernails, and red eyes. His long white hair was his last accessory, and he became a full fledged demon. With his decorative gloves and a final choker, he really did seem mystical.

Ren was the same, but he wasn't given a whole lot to look like a demon. This pissed Sho off, as simplicity was Ren's trademark. He didn't need a whole lot of flashy clothes to make himself handsome. No... just look simple and you're suddenly Japan's hottest celebrity!

That irked him...

Hiding his chocolate brown eyes, he had red eyes also. Ren was cladded in a robe with buckles on his arms, tightening them just enough to outline his muscles. With a long black wig, not in a ponytail like Sho's, Ren elegantly let his flow. With his ears showing, it showed sharp ears, as this was due to the makeup artist. Fake tattoos wrote themselves around his neck, his wrists, and on his hands. To the black tips of his long nails, his rings, down to the buckled black boots, he was also given a demon look.

And it was better than Sho's!

_Argh... I should have known that this would happen! I wanted him in this PV, just so he could see how I'm the better celebrity, but he's better than me?_

They both left onto the scene, side by side, and everyone complimented on both of their outfits. But beside Ren, Sho couldn't help but feel that he was overdressed beside the tall man.

As they both arrived, the girls were already dressed as angels, minus the wings. It gave off an angelic feeling, but the one who stood out the most was... was that really the plain Kyoko he knew?

* * *

><p><strong>*Flashback*<strong>

_"Thank you for coming today!" said the director, who was Asami Haruki. She had large voluptuous breasts, and slender legs... just Sho's type. What was wrong with him? He chooses his manager, but he also works with someone like that! What was wrong with his brain? Knowing him, he must be one of those lads that think of sex and undressing women every day!  
><em>

I'm glad Moko san pointed out that it probably isn't _him_. Otherwise, I would have freaked out even more. I almost devoted my whole life to this guy... _Kyoko glanced up, and saw him staring at her. __She silently ignored him. _

_"For this PV, our storyline is this: In a world where humans never existed yet, two angels play at the secluded field that they so loved to dance in. They made garlands, picking flowers, and throwing them into the air as they watched them fall like snow.  
><em>

_"Until one day, two demons reach their haven, and one falls deeply in love with the angel's friend. When the angel found out, it was almost too late. She's afraid that her friend will die, as the two opposites are sucking each other's energy away from them as they continue to love each other. So, she joins forces with the other demon. The demon is glad to do this, as he cares for his friend, too.  
><em>

_"The demon doesn't realize that he is in love with the angel that he's helping. But when he realizes it, the angel, in anger, kills his friend after trying numerous times reasoning with him. Seeing this, the demon kills her friend in revenge. After seeing all of this, they have nothing to live for. In exhaustion, the angel falls into his arms and disappears into feathers."  
><em>

_"So? What do you think of it?"  
><em>

_The only response was from the two girls. "I'll be the angel that kills the demon if he's," they pointed at Sho, "the one that dies."  
><em>

_One signed, another talked. What a frightening combo.  
><em>

***End of Flashback***_  
><em>


	24. Angels' First Scene

_**Ah... This week I was practicing for my violin RCM exam that's happening during the summer (but I'm preparing for it), and I was also working on this MMV. Don't ask me why I keep making MMV's; I just love to. Anyway, it's called "Skip Beat!- Never Alone" and it's on Youtube. My Youtube acc is the same as this one.**_

* * *

><p>Sho continued to stare at Kyoko. Was this really her? Was this really the plain maid he took? The one that ran away from him? It couldn't be! She was an ugly girl with no sex appeal! There was no way that she could-<p>

***KICK!***

_OWWW!_ Sho gritted his teeth as the girl's foot jabbed into his shin. She looked like she was going for another round, and this looked like it would break apart his whole leg if someone didn't stop her.

Holding a shoulder, Sebastien dragged her to his side. "Kyoko... I don't think you should do that. If he loses even one leg, then the PV wouldn't continue. He is, after all, suppose to be the center of it all," explained Sebastien, trying to calm her down. Although, he would have done the same, only harder.

The beautiful angel stared at the man, and pinched her fingers near her nose, and flicked it. This meant that she didn't care.

The butler nodded. "Ah... I see your point," was his only reply. He kept nodding until he saw Sho just staring at her. "What?"

"Why did she just... what was she...?" Sho was stammering. Kyoko was doing these weird gestures to a man in a tux! What was she doing?

Sebastien saw the boy's confusion, and sighed. "What has the world come to? Can't you tell when someone is doing sign language?" He sighed a more heavier sigh than the first one. He shook in pity for him. "Ah... the young people these days..." He rolled his eyes.

Kyoko was signing some more, and Sebastien laughed. "Maybe after the shoot? Then you can hit all of his legs off of his body!"

What the...! What were they talking about? Sho was still baffled, but he soon saw that Ren was staring at the girl. He never spoke the whole time, especially after he was dressed. At first, Sho didn't think much of it. But when the director was speaking to them of how each of the scene went, he looked confused.

It was even odd when Kyoko was signing to Ren, acting happy and the butler interpreting that she was excited to act with her friend again. What was to sign? Why did she even have to tell that pea-sized brain doll that she was happy? Especially to someone like him?

* * *

><p><strong>Ren's POV<strong>

For my costume, I had to show my ears. And you can probably guess what else would show. Yep... my hearing aids. I had to ask to go to the washroom just to take them off. It's quite rare actually that my jobs asked me to place my hair to the side. Usually, they would always let you keep your usual hairstyle. They just give minor changes, but my ears were barely shown ever.

As I changed into the complete outfit, I looked at myself in the mirror, and I was surprised at what a difference it made. Not the fact that I looked like a black engulfed demon, but the fact that I finally saw my ears. Minus the pointy ears, but I knew this wasn't going to be good.

If I didn't have my hearing aids on, then I couldn't hear anything.

Nothing... at all.

Walking side-by-side with Mogami san's hated person next to me, I couldn't really see what could be the reason why she would hate him. Well, other than the fact he looked like a playboy...

But the moment I saw that surprised look on his face, I couldn't help but tighten my fists. He was looking at Mogami san as if she was the most beautiful person in the room, which that was true. But for some reason, it seemed to me that he never viewed her that way before. I wasn't at all that surprised, as I had always saw her beauty. She had appeared in a whole different way when she was acting as Choko, so seeing her transform into another character again wasn't going to surprise me even more than I had in the beginning.

So what on Earth made my blood boil when I saw that boy staring at her?

My thoughts were cut as I saw Mogami san kick Fuwa san hard in the shin. She looked happy after, and when she turned to listen to her butler, she just signed, _Don't care_. If she gave a shrug, that could have told everyone that she didn't care about hurting the poor pop star.

The director began telling us what we were suppose to do, but I was stuck. She was speaking too fast for my liking. I was never good at picking up speech from just looking at someone's lips. If they spoke too fast, I would mess up at the consonants (Did she say flower, or power?).

Noticing my struggle, Mogami san began to sign for me. She knew that Yukhito couldn't, as that would look odd that I needed to be signed. She explained to me that this was Kotonami san and her scene, where they would play around in the field. Soon, Fuwa san and I would walk towards them, and just from the distance, and Fuwa san would gaze at the angel acted by Kotonami san. All I had to do was look worriedly at what might happen to my "friend".

Nodding, I understood. Sebastien was translating, but he wasn't actually at the same time. He just spoke as if Mogami san was excited to act with her friend, and Mogami san caught up the act and she kept smiling. If anyone saw this, they wouldn't expect that Mogami san was translating the director's words to me.

Catching a few of the last words Sebastien said, I said, "Is that so? This is your second time with her, is it?"

She continued to sign the directions, but Sebastien was able to pretend his translation just so I could get more of the information about the script.

She, with one last smile, went to the authentic-looking field. Taking her places, with one breath of air sucked in, she exhaled and became an angel at the sound of the the slate board.

Her calm expression, not the furious one when she kicked Fuwa san, became the center of the whole scene. She always was smiling as she played with Kotonami san. Kotonami san, who looked embarrassed, laughed as Mogami san placed a garland over her. At the end, Mogami san scooped the pile of flower petals and let them flutter and dance in the air like snow gracefully falling down.

The part where Fuwa san and I were suppose to watch them for afar, I saw that he wasn't watching Kanae. Although the camera didn't show, I was near to see that he was looking at Mogami san.

Looking over him, I showed the expression that the camera wanted consciously. Looking at his blissed look, I looked over at Mogami san, who was innocently dancing with Kotonami san. She looked happy, as she always did, but for some reason, the look on Fuwa san's face made me think that he had never saw her like this. It was either she was never happy around him, or he never viewed her as a beautiful girl.

Until now...

I gritted my teeth, but the camera made it seem like I was worried what might happen to him.

Actually, I was worried on how this development might affect my new friend.

* * *

><p><strong>Kyoko's POV<strong>

It seriously pissed me off the moment I saw Sho looking at me. Just staring at me with his mouth agape. Gosh... he might catch flies with his mouth open like that! So, to snap him out of it, I kicked him in the shin. I could have slapped him, but that might leave a mark. And that won't be good for the cameras, now would it? So a kick that wasn't going to give a visible bruise was enough for me.

But I wanted to kick him again, for this time, I was angry at him. He, as Kanae speculated, might not be the one I saved. I can't believe I didn't think thoroughly enough to that stormy night! The man I saved looked like a pure blond, not a fake one like Sho. I could tell the difference, and I think the man's hair was a little bit longer...

But I'm glad... I didn't waste that small part of my life on an arrogant prince. My real prince is still out there...

When I finally came to my senses, after Sebastien stopped me, I was able to level my eyes to the man next to my opponent. Tsuruga san... I saw that his eyes looking at me, but he didn't look like he was going to talk. It was until I saw that his ears were showing, that I realized that he must have taken off his hearing aids. After all, how else was he going to allow the makeup artist put those pointy ears on?

For the time being, I was signed to Sebastien to pretend to talk about me being excited that Moko san was going to be with me on this project, as I pointed out to him that Ren didn't have his hearing aids on.

Sebastien nodded. He went along, as all of us began to start the first scene. I was glad, as I was able to tell Tsuruga san what we were doing, and he was able to read Sebastien's lips fast enough to fake a conversation! He really is an impressive actor...

But at the end of the scene, I saw Sho still looking at me. As I went up to him, I couldn't help but smile. He lost me, and he knows that now. He just doesn't know that I know that he used me. I'll tell him... One day. Maybe today... But not right now.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Just in case... You do know that even when you lip-read, it's hard to pick up when someone talks fast. It makes it harder to pick up the consonants.<br>**_

_**In ASL (American Sign Language):**_

_**Don't care- Pinch your fingers (index and thumb) and bring it up near your nose. Then flick it (or release it, however you interpret it) and make a claw-shape downwards away from your body. There are other ways of doing this, including finger spelling the whole thing. Or, if you want, just use Ren's American gesture that pisses Kyoko off! That's not in sign language, but anyone can understand that that means you don't care.  
><strong>_


	25. Final Scenes

Everything went smoothly, until Ren got to the part where he had to act like he realized that he was in love with Kyoko. The angel she portrayed would walk away from him, after all of their planning to separate their friends' relationship. He had to look heartbroken all of a sudden because this might mean he might not see her again.

And that's what Ren did... except he didn't do it good enough.

"CUT! Tsuruga san! Why are you hesitating so much? I understand this might be the first role that you have that contains a little love... but at least act a little better!" Director Asami shook her head. "Okay... let's take it from the top." She waved her hand.

Kyoko signed to him that they had to redo the scene. She could see that he was struggling, but what could make him struggle? It was just a simple scene where he would feel heartbroken! Anyone could show that and... unless... Ren has never been heartbroken before? Maybe he's the type of person that breaks up with people first, so _they'll _be heartbroken!

_Oh no... That's just cruel, Tsuruga san! _Kyoko shook her head in dismay.

But what she didn't think of was that Ren had never been in love before. Sure, he had been in a relationship or two... or twenty. But he had never _really _fell in love with anyone. The President had always been complaining to him about this, but he never took his comment seriously... until today.

"CUT! Tsuruga san... can you... hey! Are you listening?" The director saw Kyoko signing to him again, and Sebastien translating—with a straight face and serious voice—to him what she was "saying". She had seen Kyoko do that several times, but ignored it. After all, the girl couldn't talk, right? Of course she would always sign and have a translator around her.

"Tsuruga san..." The director went up to him, and shook her head lightly. "If you can't do this scene, I don't think you can do the other scenes. After all, you must show the betrayal of your love killing your friend. And if you can't show that you're heartbroken by the fact that this might be your last meeting of her, I doubt you can do the other scenes... Why don't you take a break?" She gave a little tilt and smiled. "I'm sure in a half and hour or so, you can do it. You are, after all, Japan's best actor."

* * *

><p>Collapsing into a chair, Ren ran his fingers roughly into his hair. Yukhito was next to him, holding a bottle to him to drink as he pulled out a chair next to him.<p>

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Yukhito. He spoke softly, and slowly. Not too slow, because he knew how Ren felt when people spoke _too _slow. It would be like speaking slowly to a stupid kid, and Ren wasn't stupid.

He may be deaf, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a working brain. Heck, he worked twice as hard from a hearing person! He had to lip read and be able to respond at a normal volume without people knowing that he was deaf. And if someone said that deaf people were dumb, well... maybe they should try it out sometimes. It's not as easy as it looks.

Twisting the bottle cap off, Ren gave a slick gulp. He was just... frustrated. There was finally a role that left him stumped. He just didn't know what to do. A role that contained love... The President once said that he might not be able to do any, as he didn't know what love was. And if there was ever a time that he _did _get a role like this, he would watch love dramas, and all of his acting would be from his head, not from his heart.

How in the world was he suppose to do this? If he couldn't think of a way to do this... he would be fired!

***KNOCK KNOCK!***

"Huh? It hasn't been half an hour yet!" Yukhito went up to the door, and opened it. As he twisted it, the door revealed Kyoko. She was still in her angel costume, but she looked as if she was sad to the point she might commit suicide. Yeah... that sad.

"Kyoko? What's wrong? Don't you have to do your scenes?" Yukhito stepped aside to let her in. As she walked in, she shook her head in response.

_I couldn't do the scene. I was too angry with Sho to do it._ she signed.

"Ah... I see." Pulling another chair, Yukhito suddenly remembered. "Ah! Why _do _you not like him? Has he done anything to you?" He nudged Ren, who was thinking of how to not get fired (this was a trauma for him); it was only then that he saw Kyoko was in the room.

He asked why she was here, just like Yukhito, but he was signing.

Yukhito soon found out that Kyoko knew Ren's secret, or at least one of them, and was glad it was with her. Had it been someone else, Ren might have threatened them to the point that they had to look left and right to see that he wasn't stalking them back to their house.

_I messed up one of my scenes too many times so they had to tell me to think over my role. _Kyoko sighed heavily. _I just don't get it. How do I kill like an angel? How can angels even kill? They're pure, right? Why would they want to kill anyone?_

_Ah... so what did you do?_ asked Ren.

Pausing for... maybe ten seconds, Kyoko replied, _I strangled him._

_...You strangled him?  
><em>

Kyoko nodded.

_Um... _Ren rubbed his neck. He _really _didn't know what to say to that. _Why?_

_Because I hate him. I thought that was obvious._ Laying a hand on her cheek, she motioned with one hand, _He hurt me._

Ren widened his eyes at this. There was a soulless light reflecting in her eyes, as if this was enough to tell him the whole story. She gave a rueful smile, and forced a laugh.

_He used me as a maid. The whole time when we were friends, he lied and brought me here to Tokyo as a convenience. After founding out about this, I left him. _Letting her head drop, Kyoko shook it, with new-found tears rolling down her cheeks. _I thought I loved him... but I don't. But... now I don't know what love... is!_

She covered her face, not wanting to face Ren or Yukhito. They must think she was stupid, for following Sho and believing that he would let her support him as a friend. A maid... ha! Why didn't she realize that? They hadn't even known each other all that well... and he just dragged her! Why wasn't she thinking at that time? Was it to escape the fact that she was banished?

She was still swirling around, so confused, when a hand ruffled her hair. Looking up, she saw red eyes piercing into hers. She wasn't scared, as her demon side had red eyes similar to these, but... they weren't as soft and understanding as Ren was now.

_I... _He bit his bottom lip. He closed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows, and signed, _I don't know what love is, but were you ever happy with him?_

Kyoko thought for a moment. _Yes, but it was like a being-happy-that-someone-you-just-met-was-friends-with-you kinda feeling. I don't think that's love._

_Then you weren't heartbroken.  
><em>

_Huh?_ Kyoko cringed. _Why do you say that?_

_You said you think that you were never in love with him. Then that means that he never broke your heart. Besides, if he did break your heart, _Ren began cracking his knuckles, _I'll kill him!_ he signed with a smile.

_Nooooo!_ Kyoko waved her hands frantically, gripping his hands apart. _Don't do that!  
><em>

The two were laughing at each other, talking about how they were confused about their roles, and giving each other suggestions. Yukhito felt like a third wheel, but he didn't mind as much. Ren was rarely friends with anyone, as he always kept everyone an arm's width apart from him. They would rarely get to be close enough to him to see his mistakes.

And Kyoko seemed to be the only person other than him that saw Ren lose his cool more than once.

* * *

><p>"So we finished almost all of the scenes with Ren and Kyoko... we just need to send them back." Asami san motioned someone to go fetch the two, and went back to explaining to Sho and Kanae. "Okay. We'll do Ren's scene first, to see if he can act it, and then we'll see if Kyoko can do her scenes. After that, I'm pretty sure we can do all of the scenes by the end of the day." Tapping her pencil and looking at the storyboard one last time, she murmured, "Sho, your solo scenes where you're just performing will be tomorrow. We'll might be able to fit the school scene that I mentioned early to you tomorrow also."<p>

"Okay." Sho looked bored. Acting was easier than he thought. He didn't had to put too much effort, and he'll get the right scenes. And he _beat _that over-sized doll at his own game! Hah!

His smug look earned him a smack on the face, as Kanae slapped him. A stinging red hand print was left in its mark.

"Hey! What was that for!" This woman was beautiful, as Sho noticed. He was going to ask for her number later, but after what she just did? Forget it!

"You... were smiling. I just thought that you were thinking that you were better than Tsuruga san, that's all." She turned around, and began to walk away from him when she saw Kyoko.

Sho looked ridiculed. "That's because I am! _I _didn't get any NG's, yet he did. That just proves that I'm better than him and-"

Kanae's hand quickly came up to his face again, and this time, she looked serious. Her ice-cold glare pierced him as she spat, "His role is harder than yours. All you had to do in this PV was act like a playboy. Since you're already a playboy, of course it was easy. If you can't tell the difference between an easy role and a role that requires thinking, then you aren't even an actor!"

He was going to argue back, until he saw the scene commencing. Ren's NG's were starting to be forgotten.

**[** _An angel and a demon... they were determined to separ__ate the relationship between their friends. They knew that the more times they fell in love with each other, their powers would drain. They would do this, until they died. _

_The demon thanked the angel for her understanding. She just said that she would try to stop his friend, as he had already tried, and failed to reason with him. As she turned to enter back to Heaven, away from the bridge that connected both Heaven and Hell, he suddenly realized that after this, after they saved their friend's lives, they might never see each other again.  
><em>

_Never again.._ **]**

Ren looked away, his eyes closed. He then opened them quickly, and he showed everyone how determined he was. He didn't want to let her go. Never...

What was he feeling?

He began to walk faster towards the girl that was moving away from him. She heard his footsteps, and turned to see what he wanted. She just didn't know that she would be engulfed by him. His warm arms... all around her. Circling her, with surging happiness bubbling up to her.

She blushed, as Ren continued to hug her tighter. This wasn't what he was suppose to do! She looked up as he loosened his grip, and he... looked heartbroken.

Ah... if he looked heartbroken now, while he had her in his arms, rather than her away, it would be more effective. With her away, it was cliché, too common. With her in his arms... it was like saying he didn't want to let her go.

Moving away, as he realized what he just did, he swiftly ran away from her, and off the set. She continued to blush, until... she smiled. The angel she played was in love with him also... so him hugging her allowed her to know that he loved her back. Loved her back... What a wonderful feeling.

* * *

><p>Kyoko did her scene perfectly, as she took Ren's suggestion. What would Kanae think if Kyoko killed someone Kanae was in love with. No matter how dangerous the circumstances were, even if she would die, it didn't matter. Kanae would be angry at Kyoko that she would feel like killing her, even though they're best friends.<p>

Up on the tower, where she was going to push Sho off the tower, Kyoko cried. She didn't want Kanae to hate her, but she had to do this. She loved her friend so much. She wouldn't want her to die.

As Sho fell off, as she let go of his neck, Kyoko looked down and saw Ren shouting something to her. She gasped. The love of her life was angry at her. Why wouldn't he, as she just killed his friend. She didn't mean to! He kept refusing to leave Kanae alone!

She soon, up on the tower, saw her friend running up to the dead body that she just dropped. Kanae shouts, with tears streaming down her face. Kyoko shakes her head, almost feeling the blood in her dropping.

This was just an act, but she felt herself slipping into the past bit by bit.

As Ren, moving around a green stick with a cloth around, hit Kanae, this gave the editor time to edit the slashes. The green on Ren's held object was to act like a green screen. Since they couldn't have a real sword slashing Kanae, and they didn't want blood all over the pink ruffled dress as it would be used at a later time, they would edit in the injuries. Ren's "sword" would be a magical one in the PV.

After being hooked up with invisible wires stuck onto a transparent backpack, Kyoko descended down to Ren. In this, it would look as if she was flying once they added the wings using CG's (computer graphics).

They both couldn't believe what they just did. They killed the people who they promised to protect. They were both planning how to separate them, and then they ended up losing them forever. Too sad to even comprehend, Kyoko closed her eyes slowing, and collapsed into Ren's arms.

In the PV, she would disappear, only into feathers. As Ren looked at them flying around him, he soon looked up into the sky. He was all alone.

* * *

><p>She finished changing back into a red and black zebra-patterned dress and was close to putting her hair into a ponytail until she heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was either Ren or Kanae, she immediately opened it, not realizing that it was Sho.<p>

Kyoko didn't had Sebastien in the room, as she was changing and didn't want him to see her... ahem, naked. Or at least half naked. She was about to go get him when Sho finally mustered what he came for.

"Why did you leave me?" He, with the most concerned face he ever gave to her, sadly said, "Why did you do that?"

Her hand was lying at the doorknob still, as she continued to stare at him. Should she tell him? But what was she going to say? "I finally know that you used me as a maid?" or "I know you aren't my prince?"

She continued to stare at him, and sighed. She opened her mouth, and for the first time, Sho heard her voice.

Her lovely voice that could enchant men to drown underwater if she sang... and let them come to her in sea.

"I loved you, and you used me. So I no longer need you in my life. Nor do you need me in your life." She smiled, and gave him a kiss. Her lips were soft, and were molding his still ones as he failed to respond to her. Brushing her lips for a final kiss, she looked up at him. Her arms were around his neck, circling him, as she sadly pushed him away.

He was still dazed, but when he was finally out of his reverie, he had forgotten all about Kyoko.

A mermaid's voice can enchant men into the ocean to drown. A mermaid's kiss can make someone forget.

Just like a certain someone out there in the world forgot that she saved him. He might have forgotten the kiss that she gave to bring him back to life. And he might have forgotten the song she sang to make sure he would be alive enough to hear it.

The forgotten melody... Humming the tune out loud to herself, she started to want to cry inside. She might never see her prince again. Whoever he was... she might never see him again.


	26. The Evil Sea Witch

**Kyoko's POV**

My body went on its own. I wanted him to forget about me. I wanted him to hear my final words as his friend, and let him forget the Kyoko he thought he knew. My whole body burned with poison touched delicately from his lips. I want to erase his presence from my mouth, but I know I might never be able to forget him.

I just assumed he was my prince.

When I went back to the same beach in San Francisco, I saw him. He was with his parents, but he would wander about. I went up to him, as he seemed to stand out. Was it because he was the only one with blond hair on that beach at the time, or was it because he looked... familiar? He looks kinda like... him.

Maybe I wanted a replacement for a friend. Someone that wouldn't call me a murderer, someone that has the same feeling around so I can forget the fact why I was banished. But I'm just fooling myself. No one can replace that man that was in my life.

Looking over my shoulder, I still saw Sho standing by my door. He hadn't moved from his spot, and I could see that the light from his eyes hasn't returned yet. Did I really leave him in such a daze? What a moron. It would seem like no one has ever kissed him on the lips before. And if that was true, his reaction is unreadable to me. I can't tell if he'll forget me _and _the kiss, or if he'll only remember me up to the point of the kiss. I do hope he doesn't remember that I kissed him.

But there was another reason why I kissed him. If he really was my prince, I would have reversed the effects and made him remember the time where we first met: on that thundering, cloudy night where I gave him a kiss to revive him from the harsh waves that knocked him overboard from his ship. That was my prince that I kissed. Another kiss, and he'll remember me.

Sho isn't my prince.

He didn't remember me, and instead, is starting to forget that we even met before. He only knows me as the girl that participated in his Prisoner PV.

As I walked down the halls, idly glancing at the blinding overhead lights, I squinted.

_Where is my prince? Will I ever find him?_

I gave off my favourite tune, whistling, and patting my hands together as I had a rush of the night I so desperately want to remember. What did my prince look like? Other than blond hair, what else was there from him? I know his lips felt nice, even though I was just giving him CPR. That's close to a kiss, and Sho's lips are totally different. He was more rough, while my prince had more of a feathery touch.

As I was swept to where the shores took me... I was sure... I was sure that as he opened his eyes, his eyes were...

"Hey! Kyoko! Hurry up! We're going back home!"

Looking up, I smiled at the sight of Kanae, along with Ren, Sebastien, and Yukhito. I did what I had to do. I ran—to my true friends.

* * *

><p>Picking up the pace, a gossamer-like red string started to appear. It wasn't visible to anyone, but it showed that the string of fate was never connected to Sho. Kyoko was never tied down to him from the very beginning. Looping, the string flew, hopping to the pinky to all three men she began to walk side-by-side with. The string finally chose its favourite, and tied tightly against the tallest of the men, and tied the other end to the mermaid.<p>

As Ren opened his car door for Kyoko, as courteous as he always was, he let her slip inside.

Even when the two were only a few steps apart, the thread stretched so it would never had a chance to cut. It didn't need a specific length so they would never be apart. Their red string of fate would always bring them back together again.

The ride was silent, but to the ears of the aware, Kyoko's lost voice would echo nearby. It was before, when she was able to sing a tune to a perfect pitch.

The voice came from all the way from the ocean. Inside the scallop necklace that Mogami Saena placed her daughter's voice. It would glow, showing a worrying shine to the sea witch as she realized that her daughter might earn back her tail.

The room darkened, as the queen of the Sea of Japan growled at the resonating happiness that was near her.

"NO! I give her tail back, and steal her "song", take back her tail, and what do I get? I never want her to come back to the sea! Never!" Saena swam furiously, and ripped the necklace off of her neck. She clammed it down to a nearby shelled table, and rummaged through her supplies of potions. She had to get rid of it! That infernal singing! It was driving her nuts!

Her floor was cluttered with potions, herbs, and her many sacrificed subjects that she gladly killed, she finally came up with the perfect spell.

"Ah... maybe the blood of that Loch Ness Monster all of those humans keep talking about can corrupt my little girl." Saena giggled gladly. "Oh, Kyoko... No one should be more beautiful than me. No one should dare be better than me. Why else do you think I refused to let you go to school?"

The queen giggled some more as she dripped five drops into her cauldron, and an algae colour darkened the concoction. She added some of the guards' bones that Kyoko had killed last year, giving the potion more strength.

"My dear..." she said, looking into her crystal ball and seeing clear images of her daughter's smiling face. She was already at the President's house, and saying good bye to... was his name Ken? Glenn? No matter... as long as she never falls in love. "I let you become a fool of yourself, learning how to clean and cook as if you were some common housewife. And you _dare _make a fool out of _me _instead! I tell that butler that Dylan saved years ago to teach you in just a few days, even hours, yet you pick them up quickly! I wanted you to not learn a specific talent, as there would be too much thrown at you!"

A fury of eels that she stocked before shocked the cauldron underneath, acting like a blistering flame. As the potion bubbled some more, Saena glanced worriedly at the necklace. It was singing even louder, suggesting that Kyoko was in a good mood.

"I must say, when I heard that you were our hidden killer, I was most surprised." She kept looking at the necklace, and back to the orb. Kyoko was smiling brightly and talking to that _disgusting _excuse for an actress. Ugh... saying ridiculous stuff like retiring so she could teach, how stupid of her. What was the use of calling yourself an actress if you weren't going to act forever? Either act or don't act at all!

Saena gave a wicked smile as she saw her daughter laughing happily. She actually liked what she saw that night. When she turned into a monster, and killed practically everyone in the kingdom. This supplied the queen's supplies for magical ingredients, and she didn't had to buy dead body parts from the black market.

"My... that man actually told the truth. There are no such things as a pure angel. All angels become the fiercest demons than real demons themselves." She chortled. "Pretending to die, then make Shirayuki not feel satisfied with his fast death. That's hilarious."

Shirayuki was the name Saena had given Kyoko's other side. It was because when darkness came, Kyoko "fell asleep". Just like the English translation—Snow White. Snow White was thought to be pure, just like Kyoko. But... if she fell asleep and instead of a coma, let's say... a spirit takes over her, she's not that pure girl you thought you knew, is she?

Scooping the acidic liquid into a protective crystal vial, Saena grinned wickedly. "Banishing a killer would mean getting rid of the girl; disowning her from the Mogami family. But she came back." She gripped tightly at the vial, glaring. "Saying stuff like her prince made her a maid and her wanting to come back. What... I take your tail at your banishment, and you want it back. Well, fine, have it your way."

She swam to a more lighter side of her room, where moonlight just vaguely cut through the water. She let the potion drink some of its light.

"Kyoko... I give it back to see you happy, thinking that you might smile to me. Oh... how I love to see that smile broken!" She gripped her hands, making a loud crack echo her cluttered room. "You talk again, with that _annoying _voice everyone in the kingdom loves so much. But... I don't want you. So I take the one thing that you cherish most—your ability to sing!"

Snatching the vial away, Saena came to the necklace. It went from a pinkish colour on the shell to a redder one. The girl was _really _happy. But then it went to pink again. Hmm... what an odd predicament.

Dripping a few drops, she saw the shell protest in pain. The song stopped, and the shell darkened.

Taking her crystal ball and transforming it into a full-length mirror, Saena smiled to herself.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest one of them all?"

The reply used to be her own name, but lately it always said someone different: Kyoko.

But this time, the mirror remained silent.

"MIRROR! ANSWER ME!" she screeched in demand. "Tell me... after my daughter has a little bit of this..." The woman poured the disgusting goop from the vial onto the necklace. It became even more darker than before. "... will she the most beautiful?"

The mirror, this time, replied. "Yes. She'll still be the most beautiful."

Shocked by this, Saena cried, "WHY? This potion," She shook the empty vial in front of her mirror, "should make her evil for over an hour or so! She'll be disgusted, kicked out, and forever be lonely. How should she still be beautiful?.!"

The mirror finally showed its true self. A man with long black nails, silver hair, and the most beautiful eyes. He growled. "Because... she has people that love her, while you do not. You control people, and you're a killer yourself. You were the one who summoned... him, didn't you?" He was referring to the traitor that killed in front of Kyoko, and releasing her demon. "You knew about your daughter's condition, but you pretended to not know what she was talking about when she was saying her plea at court. Why?"

"Oh... Mirror. I don't have time to..." she trailed off. She waved a hand, as if dismissing him.

But the "mirror" couldn't handle this. "You... she was telling the truth the whole time. She was never killing people on purpose like you do. She was always scared this whole time... always blaming herself. And... when I thought she no longer wanted me, I got angry and quitted. I should have... listened to her! I'm her friend!" The man slam the mirror, but nothing came out. No glass shattered to aim at his hated enemy. "Dylan... he loved her, so he let himself die. Why... why do you still..."

"I have no desire to let her back into the sea."

"But why! It makes no sense! To take her tail, give it back, then take it again... what is wrong with your head?.!" He shouted in annoyance.

"And they called you the best sorcerer in the sea..." She turned to him. "I took her voice. I only want her "singing voice". That is what I desire the most. I can't control the girl with just her voice. What she loves the most is singing, not talking. So, if I take her ability to sing, and put it somewhere... I can make her my puppet."

It was then that the queen grinned happily. "Now... let the girl kill once more. Just for my amusement. I never _controlled _a killer before."

"NO! Why are you doing this? Dylan wanted you to love your daughter, not hate her! He even sent messages to her... and you!" The man with silver hair banged the mirror once more. "Can't you see that you're upsetting him, even when he's dead!"

"My... what happened to "not speaking ill of the dead"? I don't care what he thinks. He loved her. He was only suppose to love me."

"You... you're his wife! What else were you suspecting? He also had to love his child too! Why are you..."

"He told me that he would only love me... he broke his promise." Her eyes clouded, and she hovered her hand over her desired control button—the warmth that glowed from that very necklace. Just one touch, and Kyoko would be hers to control.

"You... you're insane!"

"Am I? _I _should be the one that's the most beautiful. _I'm _suppose to be the one that's perfect. Not _her_. No one—I don't care who they are—should be better than me."

And with that, despite the man's desperate cries to stop, the queen slammed the necklace into her palms.

Kyoko was in her control at last.

* * *

><p>In the dining hall, where Kyoko was suddenly blushing at the comment that Ren and her were fast friends that understood each other, Kyoko quickly denied it.<p>

"He's my senpai! Not a friend! He could teach me more about acting!" she giggled. She shook forcefully—maybe _too_ forcefully?—and looked up at Kanae. "I don't think he even sees me as a friend, as he calls me by my last name."

"Oh? But before you called him a friend." Kanae shook her head. "Don't give him a lower status than he was before!"

"But I'm not! It's just... he... I..." Her words began to falter. She blushed a little when she finally spoke, "He's the first person that makes me laugh. He gives me such a warm feeling." She pushed her hands on her chest, trying to stop the pounding that pounded in her ears. It was so loud! "He doesn't think he should be friends with me because I'm a heiress; he doesn't get angry like Sho did when he never understood me. He knows what I'm saying."

"Kyoko..."

The mermaid princess smiled at her acting teacher. Kyoko adored watching Kanae on the screen, and immediately took her acting courses when the news came out that she was retiring at such a young age. When Kanae first met her, she never knew that Kyoko was her princess. Even when she knew, she didn't take advantage of Kyoko for her money problems at home. She actually got out well without the persistent princess's help.

Kyoko managed to smile at the memorable memory, and looked at her friend. "It's amazing. I wonder what I'm feeling...?"

Before Kanae could answer, she gasped. "Ky... KYOKO!"

Her hand outstretched, running towards her friend's side. As Sebastien and Lory gasped at the sight that they were witnessing, they finally saw Kyoko's terrified... dark side.

As Kyoko threw the chair she was sitting on towards the side, she dodged Kanae's hand that was aiming for her eyes. She wanted to bring her back before she did something that she would regret.

Eyelids closed, her hair floated as "Shirayuki" put Kyoko to sleep. As Kyoko disappeared from the essence of her own body, Shirayuki floated to the surface. She watched as Kyoko sank deeper, taking her light and lighting up the abyss that she was chained in. But even with her bright light, it wasn't enough to reach the bottom.

Swimming up, into the piercing light that Kyoko was originally in before she threw herself into the abyss, Shirayuki smiled.

Opening her eyes, she gave off Kyoko's golden eyes to a burning red. Kyoko's hair was originally orange when she was a mermaid, but as a human, she always had black hair. That was fine to Shirayuki, as she always hated Kyoko's hair colour.

Grinning wildly, she quietly thanked the person who woke her up, whoever he was, and looked at the eyes of the icy glare of Kanae.

"My... should I take down the ice with my flame? Or shall humans be my appetizers?" She watched the terrified eyes fixed to her.

So... she made her move.


	27. Bring Me Back To Life

_**I made a new (and I think bad, but I have no idea) fanfic. It's a VERY odd plot about Kyoko being a star, literally! (You know, those twinkly lights up in the sky...XD) She has always been watching Kuon all his life (at least when he's not indoors), and she soon comes down to Earth to stop Kuon from killing himself, due to the guilt of Rick's death. The fanfic is called "Shimmering Faith" and you can go check it out if you want. The writing is terrible though, and that's my warning.**_

* * *

><p>Her hands were wrapped tightly and squeezing every muscle in Kanae's neck. She was choking, turning red to purple in a matter of seconds. When she tried to let Kyoko release her, all she got was more pulses shattering her brain. Breathing heavily, or at least... not breathing at all, Kanae finally mustered, "St-stop this... Kyoko. W-wake u-up!"<p>

Sighing at this, and shaking her head, Shirayuki tightened her grip. "Kyoko... she's asleep. Such a sweet girl. When I tell her to, she obediently obeys. That's what makes her vulnerable!" She let go, but lifted Kanae and smashed her worn-out self to the wall. Walking quickly, she slammed her shoes right in Kanae's abdomen.

Coughing out blood, it splattered coldly against the tiled floor. Banging her head, she still remained conscious. Looking up, she stuttered, "Stop this. Why are you doing this?" Her voice still was hoarse from being strangled, but it was a lot better now that there wasn't a death grip around her.

Laughing, Shirayuki giggled in glee. "Hurting people... it's the most amazing thing yet! It's proof that you're stronger. It's proof that you aren't afraid of anyone!" She cackled, echoing the dining room. Coming up to her, she grabbed Kanae's collar. "Look here. Covering my eyes ain't going to work no more. Sure, I don't see the blood for a while, and she comes back. That was _before_. This is now."

"But why? It should-"

"I wasn't activated by blood." She grinned wildly. "I can come and go _any time. _Now, doesn't that show I have more control over her body?" She tugged the collar, forcing Kanae to look at her. Kanae gritted her teeth. "Ah... you just don't get it... DO YOU?" She made contact to the stubborn mermaid's stomach with her fist.

Coughing out more blood, Kanae soon closed her eyes. She was just too tired to reason with this side of Kyoko. She was more powerful than before.

Glancing at the two men in front of her, Shirayuki let her finger wander about in front of her. "Eenie... meenie... minie... MOE!" She pointed at Lory. Her index finger still pointing, she let out a burst of light aiming at Lory's shoulder.

"AHHH!" He fell. His shoulder was blown off, and it also amputated his right arm. Covering the cavity that was spilling with his blood, he weakly managed to stand. He was almost losing his sight of vision. "Who... who _are _you?"

"Me?" She chuckled. She held out both of her arms. "I am Shirayuki! I was created by my master, Kyoko. But... if the master is weak, then that means the servant..." She acted like she was slitting her neck, "...can kill her!" She began to walk up to them. "I have been trying to for years, but for some reason, there is something preventing me from doing so. I am more powerful than her. _I _am the one that does all the dirty work for her!"

Gripping her torso, she mumbled, "That girl... she won't let me out! She's too stubborn for her own good! She should just rot in Hell!"

"You're wrong!"

Creaking at the sound, she spat out, "_Who said that_?" Her eyes glared sharply at the butler.

Sebastien pointed at himself. He glared at her, but not enough to match hers that was eying him strongly. He couldn't take this anymore. He wasn't going to run away. No... he finally saw what his mistress could turn into... the damage she could do, but that wasn't going to make him run away.

_Kyoko... if you really are asleep, then when you wake up, you must be scared. You are forced to sleep, yet you know the damage that your body will do! Please... I want to be a use to you somehow. _

He growled, clearly annoyed, and said, "Kyoko isn't the type to let people do her work for her! She's not like that at all!"

"Oh? Then explain why she created me for the purpose to look at blood straight in the eye! She always brings me out, and now she's refusing!" Shirayuki gritted her teeth. "There's no blood in that ocean that I'm trapped in."

"No.. what?"

"There's none. None at all. She won't let me hurt myself." Shirayuki widened her eyes, gripping her hands tightly. Her white knuckles suddenly met the floor, creating an enormous crater. "I crave for blood... I need someone hurt... I need to see the fear in their eyes!" She was clearly losing it. She laughed, looking up at the ceiling. "And the only way I can do that... is to use this body to its fullest!"

"NO! You can't just...!"

"No? Kyoko... is mine to control. Humans can't interfere! What can you, a measly human, help at a time like this?" she sneered.

The room was quiet, and only the stench of iron was in the air. Lory winced as he held where his arm originally was, and gasped at what Sebastien was going to do. Sebastien walked up to her, not caring that he might be obliterated for his foolishness.

"What...? I'll kill you if you dare come near me! I...!" Her words were cut off when she met warm arms. Her red eyes widened at the feeling, and she turned to see Sebastien's kind eyes at hers. "What are you doing?"

"Kyoko... wants you to realize that hurting people isn't the only way to live. I'm sure that's what she's doing, as well as trying to suppress your existence. She's scared of you, which is what you like, but she understands that to kill all the time, to always have an urge to hurt people, isn't the way to go. Please... understand that." Letting go, Sebastien sighed. "Though, I'm not sure if you'll agree with me."

He glanced down, and saw her blush the same shade as her eyes. "You... you can't just hug me without warning!" She suddenly pushed him, and mumbled, "Really! You non-Japanese people have no modesty!" She folded her arms. "I'll... I'll bring her back." She turned away from him. "Gosh... if I wiped you people out of existence, Kyoko would cry forever, and she'll never let me have any peace!"

With her back still toward him, Sebastien almost missed the fall when she fell over. As he caught her, she groaned, and opened her... golden eyes. "Se... Sebastien?"

He smiled. "Yes, Kyoko?"

Her eyes were unfocused, but she soon closed them. "I... never mind." She soon smiled back. "I'll just say thank you."

* * *

><p>"That's... that's impossible! How come I couldn't get a hold of her even <em>once!<em>" Saena glared at the necklace as it went back to glowing pink. "It's impossible! Why... WHY?"

"You're such an idiot. And you _dare _to say you're better than me?" The mirror sighed. Eyes appeared, and their pupils were rolling to the side for her stupidity. "Everyone knows that you can't control the stubborn." The mirror materialized to show the silver haired man, and he shook his head. "Shirayuki _hates _to be controlled. If it wasn't her own self doing the killing, what's the point then? She might as well kill you for thinking that you could control her."

"What... and you couldn't have told me sooner?.!"

He just stared. He sighed once more, shaking his head, and shrugged. "Why should I care to correct you?"

"You... you idiot! _I _have to..."

"Whatever. I don't care. Even if you tell me that I should be helping you, you're just showing that you're a fool. Just because you trapped me in here before, doesn't mean that I'll do whatever you want like last time."

She chuckled. She swam up to the mirror, and grinned. She sat at a nearby chair, leaning forward, and spat, "Just because Dylan released you, and changed your aura so I couldn't track you down, doesn't mean you're better than me."

His violet eyes glared back at her. "You seemed to not recognize me for the last ten years. _Clearly_, you're not that powerful than you think." He smiled. The ocean around her froze completely, and she remained seated in her chair, still having that stupid smirk on her face. "What an idiot..."

His hands flew everywhere, creating magic circles here and there, until he smacked all of them. And I mean _all _of them. All 34 circles... in ten seconds. His neck cracked, as the ripples from the mirror collapsed when he came out and into the frozen wasteland. It had no effect on him, as he was the one who casted it. With quick flicks of his grey tail, he swam out of the queen's room and into the guard's armory.

"Oi! Miroku! You there?" He swam, knocking all the doors, until he came up to the silver armour that was laying on the middle of the floor. Kicking it with his tail fin, he soon lifted it. "Wasn't this Miroku's?" He looked around. "HEY! Anyone out there?"

"H-here."

Swimming to the voice, he noticed there was a door that was blocked with a thick batch of seaweed. They tangled tightly, decoratively, and anchored the lock on the door to a shut.

"Kiyora? What are you doing in there?" Kiyora was known for playing the waves, patting them like a piano. He produced the most loveliest sound, but he was later demoted to become a castle guard. It was demoted due to the fact he hated not moving his fingers and playing music, but it was the queen's order.

"Queen Saena locked us in here," he replied. "Shizuru, Dasuku, and Miroku, and me are here. She found the maids unhelpful, so she used the..." There was a gulp. "... sharktine."

A sharktine was like a guillotine, but it was with a shark, just like the name states. The guilty would place their head willingly in the mouth of a shark, any would do, and they would let themselves be chopped off. The shark bites their head off... What's worse? Getting your head chopped off and letting a guy in a black mask carry your head for everyone to see, or getting your head eaten and digested?

"Wait... I'll get you out-"

"DON'T!"

Reino winced, as his hand was hovering on the overgrown vegetation. He floated, and swam up. He slammed his tail at the top, but was instantly shocked. "What the...?"

"Reino... stop. It's no use." Miroku was the one who said it. Reino was shocked, as Miroku wasn't know to give up so easily. "Forget us. Just go find Kyoko sama. She needs you more than anything."

"NO! I won't leave you guys! You're my friends, and I...!"

"Stop... Reino, no matter what magic you use, we'll be stuck. We need Kyoko sama. Only she could free us. The hand from the Mogami line will free us. So go get her!"

Rather than a request, but a command, Reino obeyed. He stormed out of the castle, and he swam higher, and higher... until his face started to drip with drops of water. Gasping, he looked up and blinked at what he saw.

He was seeing the surface.


	28. Uncertainty

_**I finished "Shimmering Faith"! But I have to warn you, it has terrible and cheesy rated M scenes. For my first time, I didn't do it terribly. But to the readers, yes, it is. There are two alternate endings, as I couldn't figure out which one was best. I'm going with the last one I recently put, as it seems more complete in my eyes.**_

_**Edit 05/21/12: mangaEATER-chan corrected me in this chapter... I can't believe I made such a mistake! I kept hearing my teachers talk about maternity leave, and I just assumed it was a fancy word for a vacation! Thank you so much for the correction!  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>Her heart was pounding. The moment their eyes met, she thought electricity was sparking, firing up her skin as he caught her in his arms. He was concerned with her, as always, but for some reason, this made her heart sped.<p>

She wanted to be by his side.

But her mind pushed those overflowing feelings aside, and sent her to only thank him for catching her. But as her mind was able to settle its overload of storms, it soon was at peace, and led her rewinding her thoughts to him.

Sebastien...

She blushed. Her skin fired furiously as she thought of him some more. NO! He was... what? Ten years older than her? What was she thinking? To fall in love with him? That was ridiculous! But the pumping of her heart sped each time he became closer to her, slowly running down her path of reason.

As her frozen heart tumbled, falling down to pieces, she tried to get back to what was important at hand. Healing the hurt. That was the only magical power she possessed. Despite not being able to learn anything, she discovered this by accident.

As her hand grabbed with confidence at the bloody arm that Shirayuki chopped off from Lory, Kyoko attached it back. It was like a puzzle, as she had to make sure the part would fit before she could do the operation.

Her hands, not frightened at the least at the still gushing blood, made quick work as she fixed the amputated arm. Her voice, low and dark, sang a tiny tune as she stitched all the veins together, all the cut muscles that were broken apart.

Soon, Lory had his arm back. The pain he had, just a few minutes ago, had vanished. He felt no pain. Twisting his arm and looking amazed at her healing, he let out an audible gasp.

"H-how...?" He looked over at her, but his amazed look stayed put as he saw her floating amongst the air. "What?"

Her eyes hazed, turning into a murky brown colour. Her original golden colour that was in her iris formed warmly into an orb in her grasp. In her hands, they fizzled, crackling like a fire that build as more firewood was added to it. The orb grew golden wings, and flew. It shimmered gracefully, sending blinking sparks onto the torn room.

It healed. The whole place no longer looked like a battlefield that shed its last drop of blood, nor did it look like a tornado struck. It wasn't obliterated as before, and rather, it looked like nothing happened.

The floating orb came back, but instead of back in her arms, it split and into her eye. She descended back to ground level, only to faint as her feet touched ground.

Sebastien wasn't able to reach her in time, but her fall wasn't as forceful. It was more gentle.

Kanae, who was wrung by Shirayuki previously, was now ship-shape. The purple collar that hung on her neck, showing that she was strangled by someone, disappeared immediately. As she squinted her eyes, groaning, she glanced around as her vision became clear. She saw a whole different scenery, and Kyoko's fallen form.

"Kyoko?" She crawled delicately to her friend's side, and sighed in relief that she was only sleeping. "Thank you for tending my wounds."

"Kyoko can... heal? That's her magical ability?" Lory's eyes widened in surprise. Looking back at his attached arm, no longer ripped off, he muttered, "But why didn't she say anything about it? That's amazing!"

"You never asked," Kanae replied. Of course, no one in their right mind would ask what your ability was in magic. It just wasn't natural! The world thought magic didn't exist, yet they let magicians do all _their _magic, and they didn't question that.

"Yes, but to be able to do this _is _amazing." Yes, it was. Kanae soon glared at the President, sending icicles pricking on his sides. He shivered as she stared at him long hard, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kanae sighed. "Kyoko... that side that told you that her name is Shirayuki... never once said she had a name." She turned back to Kyoko, ruffling her own hair in confusion. "This makes no sense! And Kyoko never once told me that that side even _had _a name. A person who kills... and a person who heals. They're complete opposites!

And the name Shirayuki... Snow White. That seems like a name Kyoko would pick, but why wouldn't she tell her? A person who is sent to sleep because she ate an apple; but in this case, Kyoko "falls asleep" at the sight of blood. But not this time!"

"So you're saying something else triggered it?" Sebastien said. "But what? We were just having a normal conversation before!"

Kanae nodded. "Exactly. That's what confuses me. Kyoko once told me that when she feels anger, she might turn into Shirayuki. But what happened before showed no previous anger at all. So the question is... what was the cause of her transformation?"

* * *

><p>The two men both blinked their eyes in confusion as they saw Kyoko sleeping on a stool. No... not just sitting on it, and drifting off to sleep. More like, sleeping like an oversized cat, but decided to rest there anyway.<p>

Kyoko had her legs bunched up together, with her arms cradling them for support. Her small frame wasn't enough even in that position, as the circumference of the stool showed itself to be smaller. She could have tipped over, or be sleeping on the floor for an act like that, but she managed to stay perfectly still. She did not, at the very least, appear to be tripping off any time soon.

Yukhito was in awe. "Wow... I guess she can sleep anywhere. You once said that she slept in your bathtub, right Ren? And for her to sleep like that... wow!" he repeated in amazement.

She was sleeping on the side, but she was perfectly straight. She didn't seem to let gravity push her head and legs to bend closer to the ground. But this left only her waist or her ribs to be exposed to pain due to the hardness of the stool. And to still sleep straight in that position...

Ren was the first to finally snap out of it. He calmly took her in his arms, and into a nearby couch.

"Really... she should be more careful!"

Sebastien walked in, along with Lory and Kanae, and he laughed when he saw his mistress looking distressed.

"Ah... Tsuruga san. It appears you have trespassed and placed my lady in an unknown land." Sebastien smiled as Kyoko looked like she was stretching out, wanting help. He didn't conclude this to be her constant nightmare of her childhood friend, as he suddenly saw her smiling. "No, wait. She has decided to stay put. She enjoys her placement very much. Maybe she's overjoyed."

Kanae sighed at all of the metaphors. "Sebastien... stop acting like that." She then looked back at Kyoko, and smiled as her friend was at peace. "Kyoko should have a few minutes to sleep. Out of all of us, she lost a lot of sleep."

"Oh? Why?" asked Yukhito. He watched as Kyoko was laughing her sleep. Her cherry-coloured cheeks brightened softly, making her innocent laughter adorable. "She seems awfully rested, even in her sleep."

"She—oh, how can I say it? She just had another nightmare before, that's all." Kanae walked up to Kyoko quietly. Kanae began to stroke Kyoko's long hair along to the tips and muttered, "Yeah. That's it. It would always be nightmare. I don't think that dream will ever become a dream until that _friend _apologizes to her. But that's unlikely. He still blames her for something she never done."

* * *

><p><em><strong>[ <strong>It was Hanami, the gathering where everyone would admire the falling of the blossoms. Hakashi High had their share of cherry blossom trees, and invited everyone for their yearly night fest. It was like a festival, as the Japanese lanterns were lit everywhere, and food and plush toys were sold in various stands. _

_Laughter was in the air, as the calm wind blew the petals at them. Many songs were played, sung, and danced to under the trees. Everyone wore elaborate kimonos, waving their fans to cool them off. The wind only gave a slight breeze.  
><em>

_But as the humidity rose, there was one couple that ignored the heat: Suki and Toya. _

_They were reincarnated, as they were once two beings that were suppose to never be together. They lived in two different worlds! But that didn't stop them from falling in love with each other. Unfortunately, Toya was thrown off a tower, by Suki's protective friend. At the sight of this, Toya's companion killed Suki in revenge.  
><em>

_But that just made the killer too tired to care. She didn't bother to kill him in revenge. It would be a never ending cycle. So she let go of the life she grasped, despite her wanting to spend her life with Suki's killer.  
><em>

_Suki, however, never was reunited with her friend. She so desperately tried to find her, but she never did. Was this because she gave up her life willingly?  
><em>

_Toya and Suki, both students of Hakashi High, watched as Tashima san, their social studies teacher looked out into the distance. Tashima san was the demon that killed Suki. It was because he was the last to die, that their age difference had lengthened.  
><em>

_Tashima san was still searching for his lost love. He continued go on his vacations for three months each year, going around the world trying to find her. He asked God instead of Satan, as God would be the one that would understand him most. Satan wouldn't dare to help, as he must have been disgusted by his beating heart towards an angel.  
><em>

_Every girl never compared to his lady love. She was the most beautiful in the world. But where was she? If she was the most beautiful, then she would be signed to an agency, wouldn't she?  
><em>

_Ruffled by his feelings, he soon gasped as he was walking past to the concession stand. A girl quickly passed by him, but for some reason, he felt he recognized her. It was only a split second, but he knew he seen her before.  
><em>

_Running past the girls that wanted to crowd around him, asking him what was it like on his trip to Africa. He ran all the way up to the roof of the building, where the girl sped off to.  
><em>

_As he trapped her, he saw her golden eyes. It was quite different from her blue eyes, which drowned him with desire, but these rare ones still told him that it was her.  
><em>

_It just had to be.  
><em>

_"What's your name?" Tashima san asked softly. He walked up to the girl, who had her hands gripped onto the railings of the balcony.  
><em>

_"R-Rumiki," she stuttered, blushing a little. She wanted to hide from the man that cornered her, but her instincts told her to stay. "And you?"  
><em>

_"Tashima Sora. But you can call me Sora." He smiled.  
><em>

_"But I barely know you! I can't just call you by name at that much ease!" she protested.  
><em>

_He said, "But we _do _know each other. From another life, at least."_

_"Huh?"  
><em>

_Seeing as she was the only one that didn't remember her old memories, he laughed. "Don't worry," he said. He immediately hugged her, pushing her buttons and causing her to overload into blushes. "You'll remember... one day."  
><em>

_As the two looked at each other, Rumiki suddenly thought she saw sharp red eyes appear at the teacher's brown eyes.  
><em>

_He did look kinda... familiar? **]**_

"And... cut!" Director Asami grinned. "Once we add the part where you were gazing each other while you were in costume into the background, we can finish the promo video. Including the scenes with Sho singing the lyrics "Prisoner"..."

Her words were droned out, as Kyoko was just happy to be apart from Sho. FINALLY! As she released herself out of Ren's arms, her blush sank back. She just thought of Sebastien by accident, and that caused her blush.

Was she really in love with Sebastien?

She didn't know, but her heart ran around, panicking as she kept trying to run away from him.

After telling Ren that she wanted a walk around, she fled away from him. She also didn't want to be near him, as a slightly higher rhythm in her heart pounded at the same rate as Sebastien. What...! Did she like Sebastien _and _Ren?

Something must have exploded her brain at the last release of Shirayuki, as she _definitely _wasn't feeling well.

Turning to the corner, she realized she was far away from the festival. The lights that were at the school were far from her view. It was a real school, not just some set inside. It was a real festival happening, as Hanami was today.

She sighed, and decided to stop sidetracking and going back to her friends. But a hand stopped her.

It grabbed her mouth, covering her, and preventing her from screaming for help. Her whole body then shivered. She knew this hand anywhere.

Her waist was squeezed lightly into a hug, and the corner of her eyes had tears threatening to fall. She held her fingers up to her lips, cupping her cries. She couldn't believe it. Shouldn't she be running away from him? He hated her! He blamed her the last few months for the killing of her father! She should be like any other person, and run away and ask for forgiveness!

But she stayed in his arms, her back against his strong torso, as she broke apart in front of her.

She then turned herself, wanting to see if it was him. It was.

"R-Rei kun?" Kyoko whispered softly. More tears dripped onto her kimono as she whimpered. "Is that really you?"

Wearing a kimono as well, Reino smiled. "Hey, my little killer. You look awfully ugly today. Or maybe it's because you're crying." He smacked on her head forcefully, not caring of the large bump he just created. "How many times do I have to tell you not to cry? You don't cry when you're underwater—it's impossible—but crying up at the surface isn't an exception!"

"But Rei kun!"

"No buts!" Reino glared at her, but his eyes softened as he patted her head. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. You really weren't some crazed and deranged maniac back then. You really _do _have a lust for blood. At least, the other side of you does." He nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head, and murmured, "I'm sorry for blaming you. I won't do it again."

Her eyes were locked onto his at that point. Her tears weren't dried up, and they flowed, but with happiness. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she smiled. "Rei kun..." She then returned his hug.

She loved him as well. So... there were three guys that held a part of her heart. But... which one did she _really_ love?

* * *

><p><strong><em>I might not write the next chapter soon despite me having a four-day weekend starting tomorrow. I have finals that I have to study, along with my RCM exam that is coming soon in August (It's because of my low level that I must study and practice ahead of time).<em>**

**_ I don't hate Reino really, and I would love to see him some more during the manga series. It's no point in making him, then forgetting about him since he won't be back until next Valentine's day.  
><em>**


	29. Tears of Blood

**_Okay... I'm finally finished my finals!_  
><strong>

**_And thanks again to _** mangaEATER-chan**_ who corrected me in the last chapter. My blunder was due to my laziness to look up the word in a dictionary and the fact I watch too much dramas with that word. The teachers always used it, but I never really thought much of why it was always with pregnant women.  
><em>**

* * *

><p>Kyoko closed her eyes as she sank down in the comfort of her own bathtub. It took some reasoning to Sebastien until he got the fact that she could no longer sleep well in a bed. Before, when she was little, there wasn't any problems. But the older she got, the more used to she was to the ocean floor. And to sleep where there wasn't any water felt pretty foreign to her.<p>

She scrunched herself to the end of the tub, tucking her legs in. She didn't want her hair to get wet, so she styled it to pile up on her hair. And just in case that didn't work, she also had a towel to hold it together.

She was forcing herself oh so desperately to fall asleep, but happiness drove her fuel, and that was powering her up way too much. But how could she sleep when she knew that Reino, her long dear friend that accused her once, now apologized? He realized, for some apparent reason, that it wasn't technically her fault, and more like Shirayuki's.

But...

Would him apologizing bring back the dead?

Would him apologizing make Shirayuki go away?

Would him apologizing give back the music that her throat once sang with all its might?

No. It wouldn't. But... just hearing him say those words were enough for her.

Lying her head back, Kyoko stared at the ceiling, just watching the tiles. Her heart started to pound radically, and it ached. What would happen if Reino came to blame her some more? What would happen if he was here to finish her off? After all, his mentor was her father!

But no, he wouldn't do that. That wouldn't be like him. Yes... that wouldn't... be like him...

With those final words, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When she woke up again, she only saw darkness. She had to blink a few times before realizing that no matter how many times she looked at it, it would still be pitch black. The waters around here were more calmer than usual, and they were less colder. But either way, it still led the same dark aura to it.<p>

_Why... _Kyoko looked around, her eyes widened. She shook as she looked from left to right. _Oh... dear Neptune. Why am I here?.!  
><em>

"Well, well, well! If it isn't my master Kyoko!" Shirayuki appeared through the darkness. There was a hint of light surrounding, which never happened before. Either way, why was Shirayuki so... happy?

It didn't seem like she was happy to kill her off as her master was in her territory by mistake. More like happy to see her. Not in a maniacal, "YES! She's here; I get to torture her in her sleep!" sort of way. More of a...

"Well? What are you doing here? You're not suppose to be here." Shirayuki twisted Kyoko's whole body around and gave a light push. "Go on. Go away. Are you _trying _to encourage me to use your body again."

Kyoko gave a backwards glance, and blinked at what she heard and saw. Was it just her imagination? Did Shirayuki...?

Shirayuki noticed her sudden pause, and sighed. As she sat down on the ground, Kyoko saw the chains tied onto her wrist, and that tainted tail of hers. Shirayuki wasn't Kyoko, so her tail wasn't taken away. She wasn't... her.

It's awfully calm here. Why?

The chains didn't greedily came to her. They continued to imprison Shirayuki, and right now, she was allowing it.

Why?

Kyoko stared at her other self, and sighed as she sat next to her. She gave a quick glance, before she saw Shirayuki looking at her in disgust.

"Hah? I tell you to leave, and you _dare _to think of it as a joke?" She growled, whipping her head to look away from Kyoko. She, muttering under her breath, gripped onto her chains, clanging them together noisily.

Kyoko stayed put, and almost had thoughts of leaving when she saw... blood.

"BLOOD?" she gasped. She winced, wondering what was going to happen. She was facing Shirayuki already, so would she suddenly take over her body? After all, Kyoko summoned Shirayuki at the sight of blood. But... Shirayuki just watched the blood float around, smiling.

"Blood... finally." She tilted her head back, laughing, and smiled as she saw the blood dance around her. They swam, attracted her in many ways, and made her... smile. But... why was it so sad?

She didn't mean to stare, but... to finally see Shirayuki... it was like a dream. Was this a dream? She held up her hands, turning them, and looked back at the blood that floated near her. Was it a dream?

Shirayuki wasn't scared. Why? Because she was strong. She didn't get scared, and she took the chance to make others understand that there was no need to be afraid. She always did that. Always...

"You know, I envy you."

Shirayuki stopped. She slowly turned her head, blinking at what she just heard. "Huh?"

"I said I envy you." Kyoko forced herself to smile. If she wasn't in the water, she could cry. Cry as hard as she could. "You're strong. You don't faint at the sight of blood. You can honestly say your feelings, without caring if you're being insensitive. I wish... I could be like that." She let out a breath, and closed her eyes. "But I'm not."

They stayed silent. It was only until Shirayuki exclaimed, "Then I guess I envy you back. You're loved by others, while I'm hated by others. You... you... you're everything I can't be!"

"Because I created you, right?" Kyoko let her lips cringed into a frown. Her eyebrows furrowed. Her hand gripped tightly against her chest. "I just wanted to face my fears, but I ended up-"

"NO! All you wanted was to face it, and... then... I... forget it."

They both weren't facing each other. They both were, maybe, alone.

"Where's the blood coming from?" Kyoko asked, trying to start a conversation.

Shirayuki didn't even had to look around for the source, because she already knew.

"It's from you."

* * *

><p>Her eyes shot up, as she grabbed onto the ledge, steadying herself. She looked around, to see if she was still with Shirayuki. When all seemed clear, she tried to search for where the blood was coming from. Shirayuki said that she was the one bleeding, but where?<p>

It didn't even take a second for her to find blood. Her whole tub was bloody red. Unconsciously, she scooped up some water. It was _red. _It wasn't pink, showing that only a few drops of blood were in the water. It was so red!

She immediately got out, and went straight towards the mirror. Where was it? Where was the blood coming from? As she grabbed hold onto the sink, leaning forward to get a better look, she gasped.

Her eyes... had tears of blood. Making her eyes look... red.

* * *

><p>Fiddling around with his green pouch, he muttered, "I don't even know if she was telling me the truth."<p>

He saw Kyoko kiss Sho, right after she told him that she hated that rock star. She even looked like she was forcing him to taste her. Kyoko... what was she thinking? Did she lie to him?

When he went find her, he ended up seeing such an unpleasant scene.

The second time he tried to find her, she was with another man. But this time, she was so happy. She even cried with happiness probably at the sight of him. So... who was he? Who was _she? _After seeing all of that, it didn't seem like she was the girl he thought she was. She was different...

He looked down at the pouch, and poked a finger at the opening. Stretching the bind that was around it, he looked down to see a purple stone. It was jagged all around, but there was an even more sharp edge at one side. As he fingered around at the stone, he soon took it out from its haven.

Placing it to his lips, he muttered, "It's been so long since I used this. God... I wonder if she still has it?"

In remembrance of the girl that had given him this half, he named it after her. That way, he would never forget her. But now... he was starting to forget what she looked like. It was when he was ten. His memory wasn't all that great when it came to remembering memories from the past.

But... he knew how he got this stone. Turning it around, he saw a glimpse of orange changing within the purple rock.

"Whenever I'm angry, confused, or even sad, I always use you. My dear... Kyoko stone."


	30. Beg Your Forgiveness

Reino walked in the halls, muttering to himself how he had to tell Kyoko sooner or later why he was here. He needed her help freeing his friends, and she was the only one that could do it.

But... oh geez. Would she even agree to it? What would happen if there was no way for her to enter the castle's barriers? All mermaid kingdoms have a barrier. How else do humans not see them?

Rubbing the back of his neck, he bit his lip in wonder. How in the world was he going to say this to her? He kept thinking of plans until he felt that he was running out ideas. He hasn't even used any, but he wasn't sure which one was a definite win for him? Was she going to be able to come with him, to save Miroku and the others?

He was still thinking of how to explain his situation, when he bumped into the said maiden.

"OH! Kyoko, I was going to..." He was about to complete his thoughts, but he soon felt that he should have carried his purifying necklace with him. There was a demon right in front of him. "YOU!"

Shirayuki looked up, pained to see him. "Oh... it's you." What she did next was what surprised him. "I killed Wycon Dylan, right? I'm sorry for killing everyone you love, and I won't do it again." And again... "UGH! I hate apologizing! But I have to, or this stupid feeling won't come off! If only I could strip it off, but nooo, that stupid girl's kindness is affecting me and... UGH!"

You just can't help but be surprised at this.

"Uh... Shirayuki?" Reino was flabbergasted at the situation before him. Was he suppose to hate her, or pity her for her confusion? He went to pat her head. "I'm... sorry?"

Her eyes shot a glare at him. "I DON'T NEED _YOUR _APOLOGY! I need you to forgive _me_! Not the other way around!" She growled at him, stretching her fingers as they made a cracking sound. "Are you making fun of _me_? Since if you are..."

"NO! I'm not... I mean I'm... what I mean to say is..." Her glare kept his toes curled, and it almost made him want to run for his life. Him! The ocean's most powerful sorcerer! Afraid of a girl?

_A girl that killed practically every royal citizen in the Sea of Japan. Other than that, Saena did the rest... huh?_

"Wait a minute. You only kill nobles and royalty. Even guards if they provoke you. But no one else..." He let his words trail off. He saw her twitch painfully at the fact. Reino stared at her. "Even doctors that _obey _the rules are the ones you killed. You don't kill peasants, commoners, servants, or maids!" He shook his head in disbelief. "Why?"

"Kyoko... hates them. She always has. But not to the point of even _thinking _of harming them. That's... that's me. I'm her other side. I'm the one that is the... I'm the complete opposite of her. I don't think when I'm angry. If I see people hurt, or ignored, I always blow it up. I use violence, thinking that if they see how I'm like, they'll stop trying to... trying to act as if using people is the right thing to do! But... I end up..." She bit her lips. "It's so much fun to me now." She forced a laugh. She grinned, but her pain inside was showing. "Yeah... _real _fun."

Reino, no matter how angry he was for the death of his admired mentor, could see Shirayuki's regret. But why now? Why regret now after all of those people... died by her hands? Shouldn't she be the type to not care? Shouldn't she strive from blood? After all, she was created only to see blood.

Only to...

"Hey," Reino watched as the girl looked up to hear his reply to all of this. She's... hurt. She doesn't want to do any of this. But it's what drives her passion. Once you love something, you'll do anything. Even if it's wrong. "Did you... did you _enjoyed _what you did back then?"

She shook her head. Then paused and gave a gesture as if it was a blend of a shake and a nod. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure anymore." She sighed. "I... Back then, it was the most wonderful feeling I ever felt. The blood under my hands. How it beautifully floated in the water. How much blood a person could shed in one wound. And more! But..." She bit her lips. Her eyes trailed up to meet his violet ones. Red eyes meeting violet... Like the colours of the rainbow. Red was the first colour, and violet was the last. They were two beings far apart from each other. "Now it... now it seems wrong." She laughed. "_No. _It _is _wrong."

She shook her tiny body, and started to cry. Only... her tears... they were blood.

_Bl-blood?.! Why is she crying blood? Why would...? Ah... _Reino just stood there as the girl cried more, giving soft wails. She's the opposite of Kyoko. If she was in the water, crying was impossible. If crying was possible, it was like admitting defeat. But Kyoko wasn't like that. But Shirayuki... even if she tried, to show her soft side to others _was _like admitting defeat.

To cry blood if you're underwater, _anyone _can see it.

"Shirayuki..." Reino began, but he was once again forced to shut his mouth.

"Killing people isn't the only way to live..." she said softly. "_He _said that." She then let out more tears. Her cheeks were streaming with blood, as more began to stain her clothes and the floor. "Now... I'm not sure what I like anymore. It's all of his fault. He changed me... and..." She sobbed even louder. She didn't even get to finish her sentence.

She was just that miserable.

* * *

><p>"Dark Moon?" Ren looked at the script with curiosity. He flipped through the pages, and muttered, "The director changed the name... huh."<p>

"It's to give the viewers a sense that this will be a little bit different from the original, but still following the same plot. You should know this more than anyone, as your father played the role you're going to take now."

"I never said I was going to take it, President."

"You didn't have to. But I know you will." Lory got out his lighter, and lit a small flame toward his cigar. Switching it off, he gave a long drag, and blew a gray cloud in the air. "This could be a chance to show that you can surpass your father. It's just one step that _might _make you consider to go back to being-"

"Don't say it!"

"It was just a suggestion." Lory held his hands up in defeat. He still held his gaze as he said, "But there will be some obstacles that you might not be able to break down. You understand?"

"No... I don't." Ren glared at him. "Are you saying I'm not up for this? Well, I am!"

"Ha ha ha... no, you aren't." Lory said bluntly. He then muttered. "Well, maybe you are."

Ren sighed. He rested his cheek on his palm, waiting for the President's answer. "Well, which one is it?"

"Well, aren't you the impatient one? Oh well, I might as well be frank with you. I'm just worried that you can't act out feelings of love!" Lory shook his head. "Imagine! Japan's best actor's only fault is acting out love!"

"H-hey! Why do you say that?" Ren stuttered. "I can too act out love!"

"Well, you are right about that."

"H-huh?" Ren tilted his head. "Which is it? Can I act it or not?"

"In the beginning, I was worried when I heard that Ogata san wanted to let you be the male lead. But... after seeing you act that demon in Fuwa Sho's PV..." He gave a big grin to Ren. "You can _definitely _do it. If you can express love that is greater than that, then you should have no problem."

"Again... can I do it or not?"

"Why are you asking me? What, are you unconfident?"

"No... before you said... ah, forget it."

Lory laughed. "Well, I have to mess with you once in a while. I need _some _amusement with Perfect san."

"Please... stop."

"Okay." He held up his hands once more. "I give. But can you do it? Can you act out a man that loves someone, but he can't? He must bury those feelings, for he only has eyes for his revenge. Are you able to do it? After all, you still think that you aren't allowed any happiness."

He didn't need to ask again. He already knew the answer, but he just had to ask.

"Of course I can do it. What do you take me for?"

He was about to get up, when Lory got out another script. It was lying on a table near him, but Ren didn't take that much notice to it till now. "There's also another script that you should look at. In three days or less, tell me whether you can take the challenge. _If _you can take the challenge."

* * *

><p><em>Okay... now that I'm done talking to the President, I guess I should go back to Yukhito. I still have work to do in the next 2 hours...<em>

Ren wandered out of the room, but he soon caught sight of Sebastien.

"Hey, Sebastien!" He waved his arm, trying to catch the butler's attention. The butler, who had a large towel, let out a "Oh!" and walked toward him. He asked worriedly, "Have you seen Kyoko? I thought she would be awake from her nap, but oh... it seems she's not around!" He gave a shake, muttering under his breath.

"Ah... I see. And what's with..." He motioned towards the towel.

"Ah! Well, you see... I think you understand that my mistress doesn't like sleeping on a bed, right?"

"Yeah. I was just wondering but... why does she sleep in a bath tub? Won't she catch a cold?"

"Oh no, that's not a worry to think of. I'm just worried that she might feel uncomfortable. I was thinking that she might want a towel to use as a blanket."

"How is that going to... never mind." Ren looked to the side, and saw said girl in a separate hallway. "Hey, I think that's her and-" That man was with her.

"There, are you done crying? Geez, I never thought I would see a girl cry. If I had seen Kyoko from up top, I bet she would bawl even more than you," The man said, leaning forward and patting her eyes lightly. "There, there. Don't cry."

"SHUT UP! I don't need your sympathy! I... I don't need..." she sobbed again.

"Oh geez. I just wiped your... oh great. HEY! Stop crying!" For that, she slapped him on the chest. "Ow! What was that for? Do you want to make Sebastien's work even harder as he has to clean the blood on your clothes and the floor?"

This made her twitch, as her face stared in terror at the thought. No... she didn't want to bother him! Not after he... changed her.

When Ren heard the man say that she had blood all over her, he ran up to her, twisting her so he could see the damage. It was true. She did had blood on her clothes. But what troubled him was... there was blood all over her cheeks.

"YOU! Did you do something to her? If you did..." Ren reached out to lay a punch to Reino, but was stopped when Shirayuki grabbed onto him.

"Stop! He did nothing to me!" she screamed. "I'm the one at fault!"

"Oh? Why would you say that? You're covered in blood, Mogami sa..." His eyes widened. "Mogami san? Why are your eyes..."

Sebastien had finally caught up with Ren, and his mouth gaped as he saw Shirayuki in Kyoko's body. "Shira... Shirayuki? Why are you here?" He growled. "You made Kyoko go back to sleep again, didn't you? What are you doing here?"

"Sebastien, please. I'm not trying to cause any trouble. I'm just-"

"Forget it! Bring Kyoko back! Right this instant!" He slammed his foot against the ground, his cheeks red with anger. His mouth formed a scowl, disgusted to see her in his presence.

Shirayuki stepped back, as her red eyes were fully red at the moment. From crying, from the blood, and from her red irises. She was terrified with the butler's eyes. He hated her. Of course he would. Who would love a... murderer?

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." She gulped, still taking a step back. As she did, the trail of blood she had from her eyes followed her. Lovely blood. Her blood clinging on her. Her eyes were fully red. Oh...

She, shakily, held her hands to see all of her blood. _My blood_. Her irises shook, though it wasn't visible. She felt like she was going to fall apart, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but I'm going to bring her to the infirmary." Looking up, she saw Reino smiling at her. "I can't let a girl bleed her heart out, now can I? Now off we go." He lifted her up into her arms. As the two went past Ren and Sebastien, Shirayuki lifted her head to see Sebastien once more.

"He hates me," she said. She cried some more, a few blood drops dripped down Reino's shoulder. Not like he cared. Blood was easy to take out if you cleaned it right away. "Of course he would. He knows what I'm like. He thinks of me as a murderer. And only a murderer." She forced a laugh.

As Reino felt Shirayuki's hug tighten, and he looked over. "Hey, don't worry. I understand. Your apology can't bring back the dead, but at least I know you mean it. You aren't like the girl I thought you were. You're actually kind at heart."

He stopped in front of the infirmary's doorway, and he whispered softly. "There's a job I want you to do. I'm thinking now only you can do it. Are you up for it?"


	31. A Happy Past

_**Note: Ren doesn't know so far that the Kyoko he met years ago is the same Kyoko he's friends with right now.**_

* * *

><p>She touched the water, making several ripples swim away from her fingers. She continued to touch the water, with no fixed purpose, until she felt a tap on her shoulder.<p>

"Hey, are you going to give up already? You have been doing that for the past 5 minutes!" Reino looked over to see what she was doing. Just making a bunch of ripples. Really, was she bored with this mission? It didn't even start yet! "C'mon, let's hurry before the low tide. I would hate to swim up to the surface only to realize I can't get to the shore."

"Don't worry. I was just testing out the water. It's... warmer than the one I'm used to." She glazed her eyes to see the setting sun. "I wonder if I can do it. You already know that different species are used to a certain temperature."

"Can you adjust to it?" Reino asked.

She tapped her chin, and said, "Maybe."

Reino was starting to have doubts of this plan. "Maybe I should have just relied on Kyoko in a diving suit. Then again, she can't enter the barrier when she's a human at the moment. You can still change into a mermaid just fine, so it shouldn't be a problem. Other than the temperature, is there anything else that I should be concerned about?"

Shirayuki tore herself off from the sand, and took one long stride to meet his gaze. "Don't forget the fact that people hate me. They already know that I'm banished. You think they'll just allow someone like me to enter their territory?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Reino said bluntly. His arms were crossed when he said this.

"Say what?" Shirayuki lowered her shoulders drastically fast as she gaped at his answer. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"Sure. I said that no one will really care. The people you killed are actually people that were hated. Believe it or not, you actually killed a politician once. He was beaten up for his cruelty, and no doctor wanted to attend to his wounds due to his lost in the election. Don't want to treat a loser, it seems." Reino laughed. "You ended up killing the ones that beat him up, and then, when he was going to thank you, you stabbed him for being a weakling."

"..."

"You even killed four doctors in one minute, and those were the ones that refuse to help the injured. Later, Kyoko came to power in her body, and healed the hurt merpeople, excluding the dead healers. Not like she could always heal them, as that would put the doctors out of the job."

"And you think because of this, that would make me be able to enter the kingdom unharmed?" Shirayuki looked over to the side, nibbling her bottom lip. She hesitatingly held out her hand, and later grabbed hold her elbow. She shivered some more. "That's not something to be proud of. I can't... I didn't do it. I didn't kill them!"

"Huh?" Grabbing her hand, he gently murmured, "What do you mean, _you _didn't kill them?"

"Okay... I _did_, but..." Shirayuki quickly closed her eyes. "Who am I kidding? I _love _to see blood. It just gives me the chills since it's so delightful. And to be the one to take away those weak lives..." She shivered in pleasure. She moaned loudly, which kinda disturbed Reino greatly. "Lovely..." She hugged herself. Both corners of her lips lifted slowly, as she looked up to Reino. "My favourite has got to be your mentor. He wasn't like the others. He... gave up his life for the ones he loved. He didn't try to cling to his life like those weaklings, only thinking of themselves."

"..." Reino stared at her. She was still smiling, her cheeks red with her blushes. She was _defi__nitely_ enjoying talking about Dylan's death. "So you're saying... he was your favourite victim?" He growled. Didn't she regret it before? Why was she...?

"Yes." She continued to smile, ignoring his anger completely. "It was... the only regret I felt." Her whole smile was wiped off of her face at that moment. "To kill someone like that is... oh, how do you say to this?" She fingered her chin, darting her pupils left and right. "He was an interesting guy. From that one slash, I could tell that he loved Kyoko very much. He wanted her to snap out of it, even if it meant giving up his life." Her fingers came together, filling its gaps. She hazed her eyes, off in thought.

This left Reino speechless. She... did regret it. She wasn't lying. He gulped some saliva down his throat, as a drop of sweat ran down his forehead.

Placing a hand on his hips, he let out a loud sigh, which startled Shirayuki from her thoughts. He even laughed out loud. "You... normally, if someone said that, I would think they were crazy. From you, who took peoples' lives the moment you were born, I think this is a compliment. Yes?"

"What, is it an insult?"

Oh, Shirayuki... There is so much you don't know.

* * *

><p>Ren held his Kyoko stone once more, and tilted it until he saw the orange light.<p>

"I think... maybe... that girl had orange hair. Or was it red?" He groaned as he hit his head with his free hand. "Why can't I remember what she looks like? How can I forget a girl that talked about fairies and mermaids? That can't escape my memory that fast. Or could it?" He looked back at the stone. It remained orange. "Or is it because God refuses me to remember? Did me killing Rick cause a memory lapse, a rift where I just couldn't remember that kind girl?"

He sat upright from his couch, groaning as he looked over at the script that lied right there on his lap. He was considering of rejecting the offer, but that would be like admitting defeat. And was he really going to do that? What would Kyoko do?

"That girl would probably tell me to do my best, and not let my father tear apart my wings." He shut his eyes. "I wonder if she still thinks of me as her fairy prince? No, she should be... sixteen years old by now. She shouldn't be thinking of fairies anymore."

Tragic Marker was the name of the drama. The role was B.J., short for Black Jack. His real name was Jack Darell, but due to his reputation, he was given this name. He would kill people without any feelings; it seemed like he was programmed only to kill. He didn't seem to even have a soul. If someone killed him, he would come back to life. For a murder that only required the death of one person, he would claw out their heart, and even wrote his name in their blood.

He didn't care who he killed.

As long as the people around him would die.

"Why am offered this role? I never once took on a killer role." _Then __again, other than that demon, maybe I did. But it wasn't intense. _Ren had to roll his eyes at this. Once his mind was set on something, it was hard to scrape it off and into his own mental trashcan. He, as of now, _really _wanted to take on this role. Refusing it was like telling himself that he should just lose. And that would be like accepting the fact that he should just lose to Kuon!

_I'm not going to lose! _

Ren gripped onto the stone tightly. He always had it by his side for support, as that girl was the one that made him discover his love for acting. In the beginning, he admired his father's love for his job, and he wanted to follow suit. His first role was being his friend's fairy prince.

***Flashback***

_"Are you a fairy?" said the pig-tailed girl. Her eyes sparkled brightly, temporarily blinding him, as she squealed. "Oh! What's your name, Fairy san?" she asked. She gripped her hands together tightly, beaming happily to see him._

_He wanted to laugh for her fantasy of him being a fairy, almost flattered that to her, he was one. "My name is Kuon."  
><em>

_"Okay! My name is Kyoko, Corn!"  
><em>

_"No, it's not Corn. It's..." His eyes were set at her eyes once more. What an unusual colour. "Never mind. It's nice to meet you, Kyoko chan."  
><em>

_And that was the start of their friendship. A ten year old boy and a six year old girl. One_ big _misunderstanding, but this played out their little game. Well, to him it was a game. But as he slowly began to know more about her, the more often he would lie in his bed, always formulating his character's background._

_"Corn is a fairy prince to her, so I'll start it there. How about his parents?" He gave out a huff, squeezing his eyes shut. "Well, Father is the tallest man I know, so I'll make Corn's father so big, he can hold his whole kingdom in his hand! And Mother will be the most beautiful queen with eternal youth!"  
><em>

_And this was what he told Kyoko, which made her gush in glee.  
><em>

_"Really? My mother is also a beautiful queen, but I wonder if she has eternal youth as well?" she wondered.  
><em>

_Her mother, a queen? She must have a big imagination.  
><em>

_There were times were she would show him the starfishes on the beach, and how you could hold a crab without it grabbing you or pinching your nose.  
><em>

_"They like to be complimented on their claws!" she exclaimed, holding onto a large blue crab. "Isn't that right, Rui?" She held the crab up so she could see it on eye level. "You have been polishing your claws again, haven't you? They're so shiny!"  
><em>

_And there were times when the two would show off their moves.  
><em>

_"I bet you can't do this!" bragged Kuon, as he did a backflip in the air.  
><em>

_She couldn't, but soon, she managed to do it.  
><em>

_"I did it!" she squealed. "Show me another one!"  
><em>

_The second was a front flip, which was harder than a backflip really. In a front flip, you have to worry about not jumping high enough, and the chance of you accidentally hitting your head if you couldn't flip your whole body.  
><em>

_But both were able to do it just fine.  
><em>

_"Let's do it together!" she suggested, holding his hand.  
><em>

_As the two swung their clasp hands in tempo, they both did a frontflip, and later a backflip at the same time. With a perfect landing, they both laughed as they fell down onto the sand.  
><em>

_"That was awesome!" he said, laughing. "Let's do it again!"  
><em>

_"Yeah!" She nodded her head. "Let's-"  
><em>

_"KYOKO! It's time for your lessons!" a voice rang on the other side of the beach.  
><em>

_"Oh! Sorry, I didn't see the time! I have to practice for flute..." She ran away from his side, and shouted, "Let's meet up again tomorrow, 'kay?"  
><em>

_"Okay, Kyoko chan!"  
><em>

_The two kept meeting each other until it was the end of the summer.  
><em>

_"You have to go?" she cried out. "But... but we were friends just now. I don't want you to leave!" She had tears rolling down her cheeks. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO!"  
><em>

_He didn't want to either, as he had the time of his life. But... it's not like his parents could just stay in Kyoto forever. They had a job in America! "Hey... here." He reached into his pocket, and was going to give it to her in her hands, until his own hand slipped. The object fell onto a rock, right at the pointy bit of it, and broke the stone in two, as well as piercing a large hole into it.  
><em>

_"..." Kyoko stopped crying as she bent down to take the two rocks. "What's this?"  
><em>

_"It's... my stone. H-here! Take it in your hand and..." He held it up high, twisting it around. "Like this!"  
><em>

_She did the same, and gasped in awe at its splendor. "It... it changed colours!" She turned quickly to face him, and asked, "Did you place magic on it? But you didn't say a spell. Could you activate it without one?"  
><em>

_He laughed at this. "Yes. The spell was for you to stop crying, and it worked, right?"  
><em>

_She gasped inwardly. "It did! And... were you planning to give this to me?"  
><em>

_"Yeah, but... now I broke it."  
><em>

_"It's okay. You keep one, and I'll keep the other! And when we put them together..." She grabbed his wrists, and they both put their pieces of the stone together. "Look what it makes! There's a heart in the middle!"  
><em>

_She was right. There _was_ a heart in the middle.  
><em>

_"This will be my Corn stone, and that will be your Kyoko stone, 'kay?" she asked, smiling.  
><em>

_"Okay, he said, smiling back.  
><em>

***End of Flashback***_  
><em>

* * *

><p>A crack shuddered as it grew. It broke through the ice and went all the way to the prisoner's body. As it shook some more, a tiny noise giggled in the background.<strong><br>**

And... a pair of eyes opened, glowing into the darkness.

As she looked around, she saw that the mirror that she imprisoned the man in wasn't broken, but he himself wasn't there. How dare he trap her in ice! But, too bad. He'll come back. And when he does...

She'll have to punish him for this.


	32. Eh? Could it be?

_**The members of Vie Ghoul have members that don't stand out AT ALL! The only ones that stand out to me are Reino and Miroku. But mainly Reino. XD The others, Dasuku, Kiyora, and Shizuru, are the ones that I can NEVER remember their names. The three idiots... I think the only time their names were mentioned were in the author's notes. Other than that, I haven't read their names in the manga. Or at least found them.**_

* * *

><p>Shirayuki naturally swam into the castle with no problems at all. There wasn't anyone in the village, as they deserted the place after they found out there was a killer among them. There were no mermaids in the Sea of Japan anymore, but the fishes stayed put. They weren't scared to see Shirayuki, as they knew it was a kill and kill world out there.<p>

"So is this the..." She gazed upon the large door. There was so much vegetation growing on it, she just couldn't help but gape at it. "There's so much!" she shouted.

"Isn't it? It's even more now. Oh well, go figure." Reino scanned the door, mumbling on about something, until he asked, "Can you do it? Miroku said the hand of the Mogami family should be enough to free them."

"I'm not _f__rom _the Mogami family, though." Shirayuki paused. "Then again, this is her body. The only thing difference when I take over is just the tail, eyes, and abilities." She motioned for him to come. "I'll try my best."

She held out her hand, and gripped down on the massive lock. It was rusting, and the vines held it shut. As she began to tear through them, an electric shock surrounded her body. She still stood still, trying to release the vines away from the lock.

Reino remained unharmed, but he was surprised at this. He was, after all, quite near her. Why didn't he get a shock? Then again, why did _she _get a shock? She still was in Kyoko's body! Shouldn't she remain unharmed as well?

But Shirayuki ignored this, and continued to rip off everything that was blocking her way. "Damn it all," she muttered. "Get away from me..." she said to the annoyance in front of her. "Can't you see..." She glared at the vines that were repairing themselves, "THAT YOU'RE IN MY WAY?"

Darting her eyes away from the door, she grabbed a nearby coral stick and rubbed it quickly against her hands. It beamed in a soft glow, and oozed red ruby-like substances onto the ocean floor. As it finally was done, in her hand was a black katana.

"No one..." She held it up high, gripping it with both hands.

"Nothing..." Her eyes stung as she stared hard at the door, which continued growing her obstacle to the point where she was pissing off.

"Gets... in... my... WAY!" she screamed.

Instead of just slashing her way through, she, with tremendous force, sent her katana that was still in her grip, and pierced it on the door. She received an electric shock from this still, but she still stayed still. Wincing from the pain, she murmured, "Don't make me laugh!" she grinned. "Do you think this will stop me?"

Digging the sword deeper into the door, she soon forced the door to admit defeat, as it was overpowered by its own powers. It began to crumble, everything was falling apart, and as she still remained in that same position, she was protected by Reino's shield.

"Yo... how much power did you had to take in? I just asked you to open it!" Reino swam to where she was, and dusted some of the shield that his magic sent over to her at the last minute. "Geez, I don't get it! How come you got a shock as well?"

His friends were out, which was good, but she was seriously damaged from the shock. Her tail was a bit charred at the moment, and her skin looked like it was barbequed on high. Her hair was scorched to the tip, and her hands were burnt from the electric shock also. She was a living mess from just trying to open the magical door.

As one by one, his friends swam out, they all saw Shirayuki.

"Wh-what? I thought for sure Kyoko was with you, Reino!" Shizuru, the bass player cried out. "What's _she _doing here?"

Dasuku, the guitarist, scowled. "What, did you come to kill us, just like how you killed Dylan sama?"

Shirayuki laid herself with her tail to the side, and her body leaning forward. Rocking herself, her mind became muddled as the shouts around her echoed. She already knew the consequences of her actions. She didn't need a bunch of people yelling at her, reminding her! Her eyes became unfocused, as she shivered.

"Hey, don't throw your words at her like that," said Reino. He patted the mermaid's shoulder, reassuring her that he wasn't going to join them. "She saved you guys, so stop complaining. Or do you want me to put you back there?"

Kiyora bit his lips. "Are you sure we can trust her? After all..."

"Yes, if I can believe her words that easily, you can too. And no, she did not cast a spell on me, Miroku." He glared at his friend as he saw his finger go up in protest. "I'm not letting another person imprison me again."

"You never know..." exclaimed Miroku. But he accepted it.

* * *

><p>Shirayuki was placed in Kyoko's bed, all wrapped in bandages as well as a thermometer in her mouth. She would have preferred to have been in the bathtub, or even the pool after her little adventure, but Sebastien was the one that insisted for her to take a nap in a bed. Really, if she could last an hour without sweating, or drying her scales, then that would be a miracle.<p>

She still had her tail on, as the charred bits wasn't going to heal by itself once her perfectly unharmed "legs" were on.

Reino placed a fist on his chin, and mulled over the situation before him.

"Is it possible for Kyoko to come back and heal herself? Wouldn't that be easier?" he said, poking and prodding the burnt girl. Her skin turned black, far from her pale skin, and she moaned in agony as pricks of pain were ebbed into her skin.

"Can't you help? What's the point of calling you the best sorcerer when you can't even heal?" she cried out, glaring at him.

He shrugged. "I'm the best in the sea where I'm from. Not in the world. And I was only called the best because I'm good at defending and fighting. That's all. No one said the best had to be able to heal others."

Wanting to complain some more, she groaned as her whole body gave out. She was just too tired to argue. Her bones ached, and she felt like her body was burning up!

Looking over, she saw Sebastien coming over with a blanket and a bag of ice.

"Th-thank you," she said. She blushed a little, but her heart broke into two when she heard his reply.

"I only gave you these because you are using my mistress's body. It wasn't for you," he said, sending a glare in her direction.

"Oh," was her only reply. She brushed her hair to the side, and forced a smile for him to see. "Of course! I'll try my best to recover!"

"You better," he growled.

And then he walked away.

She sighed as she heard the click of the door. She placed her palms on her cheeks. She later groaned as she hid under the sheets.

"He's trying to kill me. Giving me only a bag of ice, and not letting me swim. I'm soon going to gasp for air, and all you're going to see is me sucking in for air, looking like a fish without gills. AHHHHH!" The blanket she was under gurgled, or at least that's what it seemed to Reino. He saw her head pop out, and he saw her crying again. "What am I going to do?" she asked, dripping blood onto the bed. "HE HATES ME!"

Her wails caught the attention of his friends, as they burst in with water bottles in their hands.

"Where's the siren coming from?" and "How did you fit a whale in here?" and then... "WHOA! How are you bleeding already?"

"This is _really _attractive..." Miroku said sarcastically. "How did you get blood in your eyes? Did Sebastien stab you or something?" he joked. Coming over to her, he patted her head affectionately. "Geez, if he did, it's probably because he loves serving Kyoko _w__ay _too much. And having to take care of you instead of her is a whole new experience for him."

Everyone, reluctantly, began to accept Shirayuki. She was _wa__y _different from what they thought she was. She was _thought _to be scary, but inside, she was actually really kind. _Kyoko _was thought to be kind, but once you get on her bad side, she was like a devil.

Yep, they're _real _opposites alright.

"Hey, if you want, let's get you to the pool. I don't think it would help if you're in the bath tub, as your tail can't heal properly. It might get crammed..." Miroku lifted her, didn't complain like a wuss about her weight, and was about to send her out of the room when Sebastien entered.

"Oh? Where are taking her?" Sebastien asked.

"To the pool. You can't take care of a mermaid in a bed. Unless you want to dry her up in a fritz, then maybe. Besides, you aren't giving her proper care. You're taking care of her like she was a _human_." Miroku held onto Shirayuki tightly as he walked out of the door, and out of Sebastien's way. "I don't know what your problem is, but if you can't take care of Shirayuki, then you can't take care of Kyoko sama. This is, after all her body."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sebastien! SEBASTIEN!" Ren waved in front of the butler. He chuckled at his dazed look. "That girl just now, she wasn't Mogami san?"<p>

"No... she was... HEY!" Sebastien jumped back when he saw the actor in front of him. "Wh-when did you come here?"

"Just now... hey, is there something the matter? That girl still has blood on her, and did she burn herself?"

"Don't ask too many questions." Sebastien waved at his guests, telling them a silent, "I'll be back" and motioned to Ren to come with him. "A cup of tea?"

"Actually, I was here thinking that Mogami san was here. It's been a while since she's been here." Ren looked over, and saw Sebastien... glaring at him. "Hey, I'm not going to do anything vulgar to her, if that's what you think. I'm just going to give her some acting lessons."

"She has her acting teacher, Kotonami san, already. She doesn't need another," huffed Sebastien. He opened a cupboard, and got himself a cup of tea. Sipping quietly, he said in a soft voice, "Currently, Kyoko is sleeping."

"When will she be awake? I can wait."

Sebastien raised a curious eyebrow up, and said, "What's the urgency? You have been attending to this household more often, despite your busy schedule. Don't tell me you have taken a liking to her?"

"A liking? Well, I do like her. As a friend, that is."

"A friend? That's all?"

"Yeah..." Ren chuckled. "What did you think I thought of her as?"

Shaking his head, Sebastien told him, "No... I just assumed you might have loved her. She is a lovely girl, after all."

"Love her? I wouldn't go that far. After all, we just met."

"Says the man that went on many dates in his life. All of them were shallow like the women they were. You were spending money on them without a care, and you still don't think of it as a bother. Really, you're a real money waster," he said, ending his sentence with a dainty sip. "But... are you sure you wouldn't fall in love with my mistress?"

"Of course he wouldn't!" said a voice. Lory came into the kitchen, requested for a cup of tea, and turned to Ren. He scoffed loudly, with _maybe _a snort to go along with it. "He doesn't even _know _what love _is_! And- oh, thank you." He sipped along with Sebastien, let out a sigh, and continued. "And you _ne__ed _to be able to act love as Katsuki for your drama, Dark Moon! What will you do if you can't?"

"I can!" shouted Ren. He furrowed his eyebrows. "I..." He let his shoulders drop. "Love... okay, maybe to _you _I haven't fallen in love with someone before, but I have! I just... can't remember what she looked like."

Lory chuckled as he was beginning to remember what Ren told him last summer. "Oh? Do you mean the _mysterious _girl that saved you? I seriously doubt that a girl could swim in that storm, let alone be able to survive herself. You must have been watching too many Disney movies when you were a child. Next thing you're going to tell me is that you heard her _beautiful _voice and-"

"I did. Well, sorta. My hearing aids were frizzed up from the water, but I did pick up some of her song."

"And how do you know if it was a girl? It could have been a guy. And your hearing aids weren't working properly, so _maybe _it pitched the notes higher to make it sound like a girl's."

"Yeah... like a _guy_ would sing next to a drowned man," retorted Ren.

"Yeah, like a _girl _would sing next to a drown man," Lory said back.

Sebastien's eyes widened. "D-did this happen when you went to America, Ren? As..." He looked around. The kitchen was empty, and it didn't look like anyone was going to interrupt. "As Kuon?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"N-nothing!"

_A man with blond hair... that's what Kyoko told me was the man she saved. And the fact that Ren went to the States as Kuon, could it be that... _he's _the one that Kyoko saved?_


	33. Return

_Huh__? _Shirayuki gasped, a single hand just covering her lips as the salty fragrance of the ocean hit her. _I thought I was at the pool! How did I get here? _Her movements were slow thanks to the burns, but for some reason, being inside this cool area made her feel more comfortable. _But of course! Merpeople aren't meant to be on land! They should be where the sea is!_

She glanced around, checking to see if any of the surroundings were familiar to her. How did she get here anyway?

"My, my! So many burns!"

_What? _Shirayuki whipped her head, and saw Kyoko in chains. She was sitting on the ocean floor, just like she normally was when Shirayuki was in her body. Usually, it was Shirayuki in chains. When the two switched places on who got the body, the other, who was not in control, had to be the one restricted.

But Kyoko was smiling, despite the sharp wounds she got from the tightness of the cuffs. "How did you get them?"

"Don't you know? I was electrocuted and-" _Oh! That's right! _Shirayuki gasped. Kyoko stayed still, just watching Shirayuki process her realization. _Kyoko... once I take over, she sleeps here. There's no way she would know what's going on outside. _"Uh... I was just helping Reino's friends. You know... freeing them." She blushed.

"Really?" Kyoko grinned. "Thank goodness!" She placed a palm on her chest, and sighed a breath of relief. "I don't think the kingdom would allow me to enter had I been in control. Thank you so much!"

Shirayuki smiled. "No problem." She sat down next to Kyoko, and examined her wounds. "It's like hell in here, isn't it? Why did you create such a place for me in the first place?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I didn't. Well... maybe I did." She sucked her bottom lip, grunting. "I wanted to get rid of you before. I hated how everyone accused me for your actions! But..." Kyoko turned to face Shirayuki. "I don't care anymore. What's done is done. I don't have to worry anymore. If I was always like this, I would be letting a tiny past drag me down, right?" She grinned happily.

But Shirayuki couldn't accept this. It was all her fault! Why did Kyoko had to take the burden down with her? "But I... I was the one that-"

"Stop. I don't want to hear it."

"But...!

"I said stop. What's in the past shouldn't always bother your present or future. I no longer think of it as a nuisance." Kyoko yanked the chain toward her, making a loud clanging sound. She shook it again, making a steady rhythm. "I may no longer sing. Even if I do, I might sound like a dying whale."

Biting her own lip, Shirayuki muttered, "I... I like your singing."

"You do?" Kyoko said. Her eyes widened. "You can hear it?"

She nodded shyly. "When you're in your own body, I'm awake. Weird isn't it, how opposites have to have _ever__ything _opposite." She fiddled with her fingers, as she exclaimed, "Your singing... I sometimes, for some reason, think of it as an instrument. There are times when it could be the angry playing of a fiddle, and other times when it could be as melodic as birds chirping in the morning. I never really admired it until you lost it. What a shame to never hear it ever again."

"And to get it back," Kyoko touched her throat gently, "I must fall in love again." She closed her eyes, and muttered, "I might as well give up. It's impossible for a human to fall in love with a mermaid. And even if they do, it's only for their beauty, which I lack."

"C'mon, are you still thinking about what that guy said?" Shirayuki pouted. "He's a jerk! A big, fat jerk that I should have killed if I wanted to! He's a weakling! He's a-"

"I get it, I get it." Kyoko waved her chained wrists. She moved her hands about, trying to calm Shirayuki. "No need for insults. I understand how much you hate him, but if it weren't for him, I would never have met such of an interesting actor like Tsuruga san!"

Shirayuki paused. "Tsuruga san? You mean that tall, giant playboy?" She lowered her head in disgust. "A guy with good looks is always hiding something. I mean... he smiles too much!" She had her face dead-panned, looking away from Kyoko as she muttered how there must be something wrong with Ren.

"Hey! Don't say stuff like that!" Kyoko looked over her shoulder. "He's not... _that _bad."

* * *

><p>"Shirayuki! Shirayuki!" Miroku shouted as he lifted the mermaid out of the water. She suddenly slipped under when she lost her strength. She was just sitting, so how did she suddenly slip?<p>

When he lifted her up, his eyes widened when he saw each and every one of the burns were healed.

"H-huh?" He placed her on the floor, and shouted, "Wake up!"

Her eyes opened, and golden irises stared back at him.

"K-Kyoko sama?"

* * *

><p>"Kyoko?"<p>

Lory came across her in a jungle costume, as if he was Tarzan. He was swinging on a vine, and blinked curiously to see Kyoko walking by herself. He could tell it was Kyoko as her shining gold irises gave it away. For a mermaid, it was obvious their looks would surpass humans. To Kyoko, she might not think so, but she was a treasure that is wished to be discovered. She just doesn't know that.

"Ah! President!" Kyoko bowed. "Sorry for always sleeping. I had no idea Shirayuki would use my body!" She laughed. Her laugh dimmed as she peered over to her wrists. _No cut__s... _She shook her head fiercely, dismissing the idea. "Anyway, I apologize for not doing my Love Me work lately. I'll try to catch up!"

"No worries, Kyoko." Lory held up a hand. "You wouldn't have time anyway, with you being offered a role."

...

...

"WHAT!" Kyoko shouted. Her fists balled up together, as she clasped them. Her eyes gleamed, like the ocean itself was the Sun. A clear blue, or gold in this case, shining thanks to a light. The light... this great news! "I got a role? As what?"

"Now, now. Before I say what-"

"Please, before you say it, can you just tell me if it's a supporting role, antagonist, or protagonist?" Her face became serious. "Since I don't want another antagonist role!"

"Another?" He tilted his head. "Well, it is an antagonist role..."

"UGH!" Kyoko fell to the ground. She muttered, "I'm cursed again. After playing Natsu, all I got was bullying roles down in the sea... now up top, it's the same?" A black cloud hovered over her. "I'm cursed!" she screamed.

Lory stared down at the tiny ball that was on his floor. Was she going to be all right? "Um... I... I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but... I'm a bit concerned about this role. It requires you to release a lot of evil. Can you do that?"

Kyoko looked up, and said, "Now that I know that Shirayuki is nice, I'm sure I can!" she smiled.

And for a second there, Lory could have sworn that that black cloud that was on her head had a Sun piercing through with its rays. And birds chirping at the morning light...


	34. Asked Help

Lying perfectly still, Kyoko took a deep breath, inhaled and exhaled, before rolling over to the side. In her grip was Dark Moon's script. Not completed, but it had the first few scenes she had to do. So far, the announcements on who her co-stars weren't available at the moment, but she knew that if this was going to be the drama of the season—No! Of the century!—then she would have Ren as her co-star._  
><em>

He was the number one actor in Japan, while she was just a newcomer—both on land and in the ocean.

Kyoko, after a few lessons from Kanae, got recognized for being the kohai of the famous actress. She later got a role as a bully, one she never thought of taking at the time. Kanae convinced her, as this was a way to practise building a new character.

But she soon got into a stump. Each time she acted, she had a bit of herself when she was playing the bully, Natsu, in Box R. She, as a princess, was always standing up perfectly straight, a trait that most mermaids don't do. Even her walk was prim and proper, as she didn't move her tail, moving with the flow.

She soon was asked to take a break, but she was disliked by her co-stars immediately. They hated how she got the main antagonist role, despite having little experience in acting.

"It's just because she's the kohai of the famous Kotonami Kanae. It's just a title! It doesn't say she's talented or anything!"

She then had to take lessons on how to swim as if she was a model, one where she caught on pretty quickly due to her straight posture. When asked to put on makeup, she paused, as her mother never wanted her to touch it. Said that if someone needed makeup to be pretty, then they must be pretty ugly when their face was bare.

And, ironically, Saena wore makeup.

"I'm the queen! I have no choice. _You, _on the hand, are a _princess_. I would like you to learn how to be beautiful without adding these ridiculous cosmetics on your face. And no nail polish!"

All of that, was due to Saena's inferiority towards Kyoko's beauty. Without makeup, she was beautiful as a pearl, but the more she frowned, never smiling, the more people would call her plain. And once applied, Kyoko might be the most beautiful creature in the kingdom—no, the universe!—and Saena couldn't accept this.

_She _had to be the most beautiful. No one else!

Saena remained clueless to the fact that Kyoko was training to be an actress between lessons on how to be a princess, but news got out once Saena was told to watch the drama.

"The credits say Kyoko... although it's written differently*, I am quite certain that the person playing Natsu was you..." Saena flared up her nostrils, and screamed, "HOW DARE YOU! What would people say to this when they discover a _princess _had to participate in this ridiculous farce? Acting... pfft!" She waved her hand, and got off the couch. "You're still a disgrace as always! I want you to quit acting!" she shouted, gripping her hands tightly. Her eyes were furiously turning red, making Kyoko wish she turned down that role.

But Kanae disagreed. "What? You? Quit acting? No way."

Chiori, an actress that starred Yumika in the same drama as Kyoko, muttered, "I can't believe it! I'm not going to let you quit! If you do, I'll push you into that volcano again!" Chiori was serious. She once was jealous that her friend, Kanae, was drifting apart from her. She later tried her best to persuade the director to fire Kyoko, but to no avail. She was close, but Kyoko turned the tables around once the director gave his okay to her Natsu.

Kyoko sighed. "I'm sorry, but I must. It's okay!" She smiled, reassuring her friends. "As long as I can sing, I don't mind too much!"

Kyoko was known for her voice. In the kingdom, there was many recitals where they would insist for the princess to be the main singer. She was also in musicals, but she would always bring her voice and raised the expectations others had of her. She raised the bar each year, gaining more notice to her being a singer than an actress.

"I heard she was once in Box R!"

"No way! She should just concentrate on singing! She's been doing that for years, while she has only been acting for months!"

But this didn't bring her down. She still stayed with her acting lessons with Kanae, along with advice from Chiori.

Remembering all this, Kyoko could feel a bitter taste behind the back of her tongue. "I have to play an antagonist role? I kept getting those, but I had to refuse them due to my mother's lecture on quitting. But... now that I can act again, I wonder...?"

She glanced at the script again. She asked to read the book it was based on (She finished it in five seconds flat, due to the same ability as Kanae), but there was one thing that bothered her the most.

Kanae once told her that role was written for you by the script. But what happens if you don't have a script? What happens if something doesn't make sense, but you weren't sure where the fault was?

"Then you must ask yourself questions. What was the character like? What are the likes and dislikes? What kinda environment is that character placed in. And more importantly, what past do you think affected them the most to turn into what they are to this day?" were the words that Kanae once said.

But... one question appeared in her head which she couldn't answer: What was the reason that Mio hated Mizuki?

She was going to confidently tell herself it was because Mizuki loved Katsuki, the fiancé of Mio's elder sister, Misao. And since Mio hated Misao, she would hate Katsuki, along with Mizuki. But that couldn't be right! Mio tortured Mizuki when they were little, and Misao only met Katsuki last summer, according to the timeline.

So... what was the answer?

Kyoko sighed. She didn't know.

* * *

><p>Ren and Yukhito were talking together, as they both were at Ren's apartment. He was organizing Ren's<p>

Holding the book, Ren mulled over a page. He then muttered, "I don't get it."

Yukhito blinked. "Huh? You don't get what?" This was the first time Ren ever bothered to admit that he couldn't understand something. He looked over and saw that he was reading the novel, Tsukigomori. "Ah... for the remake, right? What don't you get?" he asked again.

"This part... what kind of guy has to hesitate to show love to the girl he loves? Why can't he go all out?"

"... Ren... you damn playboy," Yukhito confirmed.

"Haa?" Ren looked up, and said, "Me?" He pointed to himself.

Yukhito nodded. "_Wh__y can't you go all out__? _A guy can't just fall in love and suddenly show a girl that he does. He has to take it slow... unlike someone." He laughed. "I remember how so many of your girlfriends would just melt when they realized you said yes to their offer, but they would later dump you because you didn't love them."

"How rude! I did love all of them!"

"No, you didn't. If you did, then you never really loved anyone besides your parents." Yukhito took the book out of Ren's hands, placed it on the table, and leaned forward to whisper, "A guy that has a whole line of girlfriends, and doesn't just have one that'll be with him for eternity is basically a guy that never fell in love before." Yukhito scoffed, "Get it now?"

"No," was Ren's blunt answer. "How did I not love them? I did!" he said, trying to convince his best friend.

Yukhito shook his head. "Didn't most of them break up with you, saying something along the lines that they found someone new?"

"Yeah...?"

"And you let them go."

"_L__et them go? _No, I was only thinking of their happiness. If they aren't happy to be with me, then-"

"IDIOT! They were testing you! They wanted to see you refuse, to say that you want them to stay by your side! And you let each one go, not caring at all. I'm your friend, and I know what you are like. And with each and everyone, you chose someone who didn't know you were deaf."

Ren gripped his hands. "So? What's that have to do with anything?"

"Ren... a person is someone you trust. The fact that you were deaf because of that incident... if I loved someone, I would tell her a secret like that. You never did, not with any of those girls. In fact, the only girl that you admitted, besides Maria, was Kyoko chan."

"Mogami san? Well, yeah, she is but-"

"_Mogami san..._ Gosh, just call her Kyoko already. You two are friends, aren't you?" Yukhito crossed his arms, and groaned. "I bet you, with my life, that the person that you're going to fall for is Kyoko chan."

Ren blushed, and turned away. "Wh-what are you saying? I barely know her! And... there's that girl that saved me and-"

_Really? Then what's w__ith the blush? _"You barely know _her, _yet you are stuck to the fact she's the one for you. What about Kyoko chan?" Yukhito mustered a laugh. "And you keep trying to meet her at the President's place, and the only response you get is that "she's sleeping". Is she avoiding you?"

"Don't kid yourself! She... she's probably _actually _sleeping at those times, and I just came at the wrong moment! Nothing to-"

"You're a real idiot. How about this?" Yukhito grinned at Ren. _This is going to be fun! _"Why don't you ask Kyoko chan out on a date? Just the two of you? And I won't tag along with you from behind, like I always have to with your other dates?"

"NO! I can't just- wait. You... tag along with me while I'm..." Ren's face went blank. Then he cried out, with his hands ruffling his both sides of his head, "WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THAT?"

"What? I can't do that? Just to let you know, I switched with Rick. Sometimes he follows you, then me, then him again..."

"That's called stalking!"

"No, it's not. We're just seeing how our little friend is doing."

Yukhito laughed as Ren chased him out the door. Behind it, he was sure that Ren was probably blushing like crazy. But inside, he hoped that his words processed into his brain.

_Ren, I'm your friend. I care about you. And Kyoko chan seems to be the only girl you open to. Why are you so stubborn that you don't want to date her and consider her as your girlfriend?_

* * *

><p>As Ren shut the door, he heard a faint ringing. He strode to the kitchen, where he placed his cellphone. When he flipped the cellphone to see who it was, it was listed as an unknown caller.<p>

_Huh, I wonder who this is? _Ren knew it couldn't be Yukhito, as he had him on caller ID. It couldn't be the President either, as the same went for him? So who was this? He never recalled giving his phone number to anyone. And even if he did, he would always later put their number on his list so he would immediately greet them by name right away, and not asking who the other caller was on the other line.

"Hello?" he said, placing the phone on his ear. "Who is this?"

"It's me... sorry to bother you. I got your number from Takarada san and... I kind of need your help."

Ren's eyes widened before a soft grinned formed on his face. "Sure, I'll be glad to help you... Mogami san."

* * *

><p><strong>*"The credits say Kyoko... although it's written differently."<strong>_**- If you follow the manga, you probably know that Kyoko actual name is written like this (キョーコ) while her stage name is like this (_京子**). Both pronounce the same, but it's just written differently.**_**_


	35. Newfound Role

_**I'm still practising for my RCM exam for violin, so don't be too surprised if my updates aren't as fast as they used to be. Mine will be somewhere in August... so that's like the end of my summer. ^.^"  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>Ren had his arms crossed, staring at the abomination before him. Well... it wasn't <em>that <em>terrible. Just... did his omelette have to look like a truck double parked it, and did an unexpected U-turn? Really, he tried his best _not _to flip it forcefully to the side, but he ended up tearing it. And with all the ingredients he put in it, with bell peppers, chicken, and salad dressing, it was all torn and sticking out from the omelette rather than nicely tucked in.

_I never knew making omelettes were so hard! I thought it didn't take much effort to make them!_ Ren glanced down at the horrendous sight once more, and groaned, "Not again..." He flipped the stove off, and placed the frying pan on a different oven element. He was about to get another egg, ready to go and try another attempt, when he heard the doorbell ringing. "Already?" He looked at his watch, and moaned out, "Ten minutes earlier than I expected!"

He ran out of the kitchen, and checked the peephole to see if it was her. It was. Jerking forcefully at the knob, which surprised his guest, he gave a cheery "hello" and welcomed her in.

"Hello, Tsuruga san! Sorry for calling you last night... were you sleeping?" she asked, taking off her jacket. She placed it on his coat rack, and pulled on her shoes. As she was slipping on the slippers he provided, she said, "I hope I didn't bother you."

"Not at all, Mogami san," he said, telling her that he was still awake at the time she called. "I'm glad to help you at any time. So..."

He smiled as he saw the script that she was pulling out of her bag. She told him that there was something she was confused on, and she wanted him to give her hints. It was better to speak to her in person, than on the phone, he told her, but it was only because he hadn't seen her in a while.

"What are you confused on?" She didn't even flip to the page she was at when Ren saw the cover. "Dark Moon?" he cried out. His eyes bulged. "Wh-which role do you have then?"

Her eyebrows curved at the question, and she replied, "I'm going to play Hongo Mi- oh!" Her whole body began to vibrate, and she excused herself to answer her phone. "Hello? Oh, Chiori?"

While she was doing this, Ren was muttering to himself. "No way... could it be Yukhito's curse? He said that she was definitely the girl that I'll have in my life... and then the curse is set. If she plays Mizuki, my lover in this drama then..." He grabbed his head as he tilted himself, kneeling on the floor.

_AGH! I don't think I'll take it! But... but... She _was _saying her role started with Mi... then it's a possibility that she __has __Mizuki! After all, if this director thought there was chemistry between us during Fuwa san's PV, then he _might _cast her as Mizuki!_

He looked over at her, and he saw her shaking her head. "Eh? Is that so? When is this happening?" She sighed. "Well... I guess it can't be helped. Did he say where?" She nodded her head a few times, and said, "Okay. It's okay to do it up top. I'm sure it's fine." She finished her call, and she said, "Sorry about that." She said, apologizing to Ren.

"No worries. Now... you were saying? Your role is..." He trailed off, wanting for her to finish.

But she blinked. "Huh? But I already told you."

He shook his head. "No, you didn't."

But she persisted. "Yes, I did. I said I was going to play Hongo Mio, didn't I?"

...

"Oh... is that so." Ren gave out a sigh of relief. He folded his arms, and grumbled, "Thank goodness."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

* * *

><p>"You sound just like Moko san!" Kyoko laughed. She doubled over, clutching her stomach as tears fell out of her eyes. "Moko san is always telling me to think about the character's background, but no matter how much I try, I can't figure out Mio's!"<p>

"Really?" Ren looked at the script that she had, along with the book that she gave him. "What don't you get about her background?"

"Well..." Kyoko fidgeted, "Mio seems introverted, but she likes to win. I don't think the two should go together."

Ren nodded, understanding her confusion. Most shy people don't mind too much if they lose. They might groan, or think they could do better, but they normally don't have the courage to show their feelings, like anger, to Katsuki or Misao.

"So... you _don't _think she should be introverted?"

Kyoko gave a quick nod. "It would make more sense. But... how do I show it?" She tapped her chin. She soon sighed. "Um... uh... are you in Dark Moon?"

"Yes, I am." Ren smiled. "It's nice to work with you again. That's why I was happy to help you figure out your role."

"Oh, I see."

They both remained silent, until Kyoko replied, "This is... a yummy omelette that you made." She jabbed it with her fork cautiously, before biting into it. She swallowed it, but all she tasted was sand. And the burnt sensation of overcooking. "Um... maybe next time you should use oil or butter so it doesn't burn next time? Or heating it up on a low temperature." She looked over and blinked. "Hey... where are your hearing aids?"

"Huh?" Ren touched his ear. "Oh. Well, I switched my hearing aids to ones that would be in the canal. You know... inside the ear? It's so I wouldn't have to worry so much if people know I wear hearing aids. I didn't bother doing it before, since I was used to the more visible ones to start with."

"Ah. Is it because you don't want me to translate everything like before?"

"No," Ren shook his head, "I just don't want to always worry about people suddenly seeing my hearing aids."

* * *

><p>They both were watching Tsukigomori, the original, together, so they could get an understanding of what they were trying to beat. After all, the remake had to surpass the original, didn't it?<p>

There were times when Ren would grimace when he saw Katsuki, the role he was soon to play, but Kyoko didn't question it.

"I heard he didn't had someone else play the piano for him, this Katsuki. The actor did it himself," she said.

His only reply would come out as, "Oh, is that so?"

Knowing him, and his common waves of determination, he would probably do the same thing. Not letting another person play the piano piece for him. In the acting world, you can use a stuntman if you don't have a certain ability, or the director doesn't want you to be injured. Ren was one of the few that never _once _used a stuntmen. He did all his scenes by himself.

"I can help you if you want. I play a bit of piano. And Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu isn't a hard piece to play." _Well, I played it on the first try after hearing it, so it must be easy... _

"You play _a bit_? You do know that piece has a fast beginning?"

"But in the middle, it slows down. It's no big deal."

"..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

They both continued to watch. Kyoko studied the Mio in Tsukigomori. She was a great actress, but... she didn't feel a lot of hatred from her. The hatred that Mio had didn't seem at the same caliber as the one Kyoko thought Mio should have. Or maybe it was because...

_Shirayuki, before, showed more hatred than this. When I compare it to her and this Mio, she isn't as scary. She doesn't give the audience the fright. _She looked over to Ren, and saw a bland face. _He seems to think so too. So... if _my _Mio surpasses this one, then I would have to... _Kyoko grabbed her elbows, and shook. _I_ _would have to release the darkness that I own. My _own_ darkness..._

Kyoko glanced at the television set. She saw a blur, but when she heard the violin that Mio played, she couldn't help but think, _I can play better than that. _But how would she do it? Playing an instrument and playing a role were too different things! How could she show more hatred? Sure, she could show it in just her expressions, but she would have to be more creative than that! Think, Kyoko... Think!

"You know, even though Mio has a lavish lifestyle, you can't help but pity her."

_Huh?_

She looked over to Ren, as he was staring a scene where the young Mio was torturing a young Mizuki. "Her parents ignore her for her sister, Misao. But instead of striving for their attention, this makes her hate her sister, along with her parents. And you also were wondering on why would Mio hate Mizuki, right?"

Kyoko nodded. "It seems strange. They both have a sad past, so I thought Mio would connect to Mizuki—even pity her! But she just bullies her like Misao does. I don't see why Mio would." She sighed. "Mizuki is just like a perfect heiress! She's always smiling, even after having a pitiful past!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands and beaming.

"And you aren't perfect? You're always smiling, too." he laughed. But his joke made her stiffen, and showing a more colder side of her. "Hey... what's the-"

"I'm _not _perfect," she insisted. Her expression saddened, as she dropped her shoulders. "Not after... what happened before."

"B-before?" Ren saw her as an empty shell at the moment. Every time he saw this, it all seemed connected to one event in her life. _I remember her crying, saying stuff like it wasn't her fault. What did she do?_

"Anyway," she shook it off, "Mio is the opposite. Even though they have similar pasts..." she gasped.

And this made Ren smile. He saw her gestures, her hand moving, her fist hitting her palm as she figured out something. You can never get tired of watching her.

Then, after her minutes of self thought, she gave a triumphed smile.

"I found it," she whispered. She turned to Ren, and grinned happily. "I found my Mio!"


	36. Released

_It's the scar! The scar will be what sets me apart from the original! _Kyoko smiled to herself as she was fixing up breakfast. Or dessert, however you want to put it. She loved baking, and she was making fudge-mallow bars with hot chocolate. She was in a sweet tooth kind of mood after finding her very own Mio. _The scar_ _shows her hatred for her sister, as every time Misao looks at it, she'll remember the ugliness that lives in her heart. _I_ soon have to test it out and tell the director what I think Mio should be like..._

Her hands froze as she stopped stirring. The melted chocolate chips were in her hand, along with a wooden spoon in the other. But... she couldn't _really _say her thoughts without the director thinking that he was right all the time.

_The last time I argued with a director was when I played Natsu. I didn't like the director's suggestions, as it never fitted her character. I was scolded so much... It was only when I showed him how _my _Natsu is like, that he fully understood what I meant. But... would it be the same? I can't always rely on my decisions._

Kyoko continued to stir, adding it to the cake pan that she prepared. Smoothing the fudge with her metal spatula, she added marshmallows on top. And to top it, she added both caramel and chocolate syrup to dress it up. Drizzling it in a zigzag pattern, she soon finished and was ready to put it in the oven.

Waiting for it to bake, Miroku came in the kitchen, and gave a laugh. "Most people would think their heiress in an apron is just odd and wrong, but I actually find it natural. What are you baking this time?"

"Fudge-mallow bars."

"Oh? That sounds sweet. Not like I would know, after all. I liked your Salmon Surprise Cookies, but I know you tried baking them in that human oven." He pointed at it as if it was the most ugliest thing he ever saw. "I guess sea water ovens give it more flavour as it bakes inside for freshwater salmon."

"Maybe. But I can't go to the sea and fill this oven up with water. It wouldn't cook."

"Oh well. But I'm willing to eat your baking, princess." He bowed down. "Even though merpeople don't like sweets. We prefer salty food, as that is what the water is when we are born."

"Can't you adjust?" Kyoko asked, placing on her oven mitts to take the bars out of the oven. She opened the oven door, and placed the cake pan on top of the stove for it to cool for a couple of minutes. Her cooling rack ready on the side, and her slow cooker ready with the hot chocolate. She didn't mind too much that it took hours for it to be prepared. She wasn't in any hurry.

"No," was his blunt reply. He looked up, and said, "Here's the others now."

Reino was the first to come in, but his whole body indicated that he was angry. Shizuru, Dasuku, and Kiyora followed suit. They both were back from the music store, to buy their instruments, but it seemed they had some troubles along the way.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked, cutting into the bars. She opened the slow cooker, and poured the hot chocolate into six cups. She let herself have whipped cream and chocolate shavings on hers, but the others declined. They sipped the hot chocolate, and they ended up pouring salt into their cups. Not table salt, but sea salt.

Reino muttered, "A talent scout saw us at the music store, and asked us to play. Shizuru played bass, Kiyora was on keyboards, Dasuku on the guitar, and me just singing." Reino shrugged. "Those instruments looked similar to the ones when we were at sea, but they played terribly. The quality doesn't match at all!"

"Still, to humans, that must be what their music sounds like." Kiyora rolled his eyes. He was _not _pleased on the sound quality on the keyboard. But since that was their best, he decided to buy it anyway.

"Anyway, that talent scout actually wants us to _copy _Fuwa Sho. I believe he's the man you _thought _was the one you saved?" questioned Dasuku. "I can't believe it... his songs are so..." His shoulders shook, and then he ran around the room screaming, "WILD AND COOL! I can't believe he would have more style than us!"

_I have to admit, but most of his ballads have a flawless poison-like melody, _thought Shizuru.

But Dasuku _somehow _caught his words and yelled out, "Don't even think about it silently!" He stopped and pointed angrily at Shizuru.

"Oh? You can say it out loud for us to hear, and I can't think of it silently to myself?"

"UGH!"

Kiyora joined in, saying that if they were to copy Sho, he might make his music even better. "He seems like a musical genius!"

Kyoko, not pleased to hear compliments to her ex-love, ignored them and added her opinion. "You can say all you want, but don't you think there's no emotion?" Her hands were crossed, as everyone laid their eyes on her. She took a bite into her bar, and a sip of hot chocolate, and said, "No matter how much the music can back it up, I can tell his voice doesn't have any emotion. No matter how much he can fake it, people are bound to know. If not now, sooner or later."

Kiyora blinked, and gasped. "Oooh! I get it! You're a singer, just like him!" Thankfully, he didn't say any indications that she couldn't sing anymore. That would just bring her down. "So he's not at your level?"

This made Kyoko smile. She chuckled, as she dipped her spoon to scoop the whipped cream out. "He's not even going to get to my level even if he's the number one singer in the world. _That's _how big a difference we are."

* * *

><p>Reino watched as Kyoko fiercely ran her bow on the string. Her violin rang, echoing in her room and singing its melody to her. Whenever she was angry, she would sing her frustrations out. It was never a specific song, but one she thought of at the top of her head. But since all she could sing now was strangled notes, she had to play them out.<p>

"_Him_? A _genius_? Oh ho _ho_! I _thought _he was, but I was blinded by love, so I couldn't even _see _that he was inferior compared to my talents!" she cried out, angrily playing sixteen notes, and rowing her bow back and forth. Her left hand was going uncontrollable, as her fingers shook to a fast vibrato, and fingering each note. "He's nothing but a big fat jerk!"

"This is the first time I heard you not be modest. He must have been really full of himself to make you think that _you _are better than him." He looked at her flared up aura, filled with hatred.

Reino raised a hand to stop her, before she would soon wake up with tired out arms. He never saw his friend this angry. Other than Shirayuki in her body, this aura was not the same his mistress had before.

_He _changed her.

"Well, I must say. To humans, he's like an angel. But when merpeople hear it... do you remember the comments that my friends gave? It was only to the _music_. Kiyora said he was a musical genius, but that was only to his music. The instruments. They never once said anything about his voice." Reino glanced as she paused from putting her violin in her case, and said out loud, "I bet if we both sang a duet, it would be loved by everyone in this world forever."

Kyoko stilled at this, and glanced up at her childhood friend. She gave a small smile, and let out a tear. "Rei kun..."

He walked over her side, and gave her a tight hug. She wasn't expecting this, but she hugged back. She rubbed her cheek on his shirt, and let out a small cry.

"Don't worry. I don't think you were stupid. If you're blinded by love, you don't see a person's flaws." He flicked her bangs with his fingers playfully, and laughed. "You were at a bad time. Being exiled, and wanting someone to love you when no one else would. But now... what would you do now? You need a lover before you're seventeen."

"I... I don't know. I don't think I would be able to find one that quickly." Kyoko said, still in his arms. She started to feel warm inside, as Reino hugged her tighter.

"Then can I?"

"Huh?"

He loosened his grip, and nuzzled his forehead with hers.

"I love you."

* * *

><p>Miroku was just going over to see if Reino was done calming down Kyoko, until he heard a sharp noise on the other side.<p>

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT!"

Out came Kyoko, fuming, probably even more than before. She stomped away, not noticing Miroku. When Miroku peeked in to see what Reino's expression would be, he saw his friend on his side.

"R-Reino?" Miroku hurried to Reino, only to see a red slap mark on his face. "Uh..."

"I don't know what I did wrong. I just said that I loved her."

This sent alarms in Miroku's mind. "Y-you? _You _confessed to our mistress?"

Miroku had known for a long time that Reino loved her dearly. In the beginning, Reino hated how she seemed like any girl, wanting love. But when he learned the reason why, how she strived her mom's love, her desire to be loved seemed reasonable. It made sense. Reino would pity the girl, but she never wanted it. She didn't need sympathy.

"And what did she do?" Miroku bent down, to see Reino just lying there on his side. He laughed. "What was the reason for her to slap you?"

Reino wasn't going to add anything to his humiliation, but he replied, "I said that I love her, and I let that sink in. Then after that, I said I didn't love her to the point I would be wanting to marry her, run off with her, and live happily ever after in another castle when we could have just stayed in the first."

...

"Man, you're way too honest. No girl wants to hear that. No wonder she slapped you." Miroku shook his head.

But Reino stayed still. He let his violet eyes meet grey, and he said, "I need her to understand that every time you hear someone say they love you, you shouldn't give your heart to them. If every time she gets heartbroken, and then the next guy comes, says he loves her, and the fact that she knows him already... the same process will happen again. I need... I need her to know that once she finds the right guy, that chain will break. She'll stay with him, and never be heartbroken."

Locking the information in his head, Miroku admitted, "But you _do _love her. Why did you say it like that?"

Reino shook his head. "I'm sure I don't love her as much as another guy, somewhere in this world. When I see him, our hearts are probably weighed and I'll see that I loved only a small percent from what he feels for her." Reino closed his eyes, and covered a palm over them. "And I want that guy to come quickly. I'm pretty sure Saena isn't going to just let her stay up top with legs. There's got to be a reason for her just not letting her be able to sing."

They both were left to their thoughts, when something rumbled in Reino. "Damn!" He stood right up, and ran out the door.

Miroku, left there in the room, shouted out, "Hey... Reino? REINO!"

* * *

><p>Reino came to a nearby mirror, and shuddered as zigzagged a pattern on it. Gracefully and elegantly, he took out a bracelet, and glued it onto the mirror. This set the ordinary mirror from the one he was creating right now. There, in the middle of the bracelet, he saw an image. It was Saena, coming out of her prison.<p>

_No! How is that possible? She should have stayed there forever! _Reino panicked, and tried to freeze her prison again. Even with her far away, he should be able to send his magic over there. He couldn't let her out! But she was able to shield his magic. This made the mirror rumble, shaking as the bracelet fell, letting his image of Saena fall.

_She's out... and she'll hurt Kyoko again._


	37. The Fake Is?

_**Okay! I've finished my violin RCM exam. I think I got AT LEAST somewhere between a 60-80. I was shaking from head to toe WAY too much during the test that I COMPLETELY forgot to add the crescendos, decrescendos, accents... EVERYTHING! Damn... I even messed up with my vibrato! I'm so ashamed of myself... I hate being shy...  
><strong>_

_**Anyway... This is a revamped version of chapter 37. I wasn't satisfied with it, and every time I tried to write chapter 38, I ended up erasing the pages over and over again. So... hope you like this version, for those who read the original! But does this seem better?  
><strong>_

_**I was rushing for this to get out, so forgive me for the typos or grammar problems!  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>From the drain, a sickly foam emerged, bubbling in the pool's water. Kanae didn't take notice of it, as she was swimming ahead of the foam. When her vision was finally polluted by its darkness, it was already too late. Her whole body was trapped by it, and she felt her strength drain away. Then it started to freeze in a temperature of negative 20.<p>

"WHAT?" She tried her best to swim up to the surface, despite the lost strength, but a single hand grabbed her under. Dragging her near the drain, she turned to see who grabbed her with such force! When she did, a pair of brown eyes stared down at her. They suddenly became a chilling red, jabbing Kanae with just a look. "Shira... yuki? Is that you?"

The water became clear again, without the below zero temperature surrounding her, but this didn't reassure her with what she just saw.

Was that just now... Shirayuki?

* * *

><p><em>Kyoko!<em> Reino ran down the hallways, dodging the maids. Nothing was going to happen, right? Just because he knew that Saena was out, didn't mean she'll start her revenge right away. Right? RIGHT?

He wasn't the most athletic person, but even with his pounding heart, his lungs dried up from him searching for his mistress, he then felt that the need to breathe was wasteful. It always slows you down when you lose air! Why can't you just have it all the time?

"KYOKO! KYOKO!" he yelled again, chasing aimessly, trying desperately to find his mistress. He was her bodyguard, damn it! Her father trusted in him to protect her, but he always pushed her away. Why... why at a time like this...?

"Kyoko, where are you?" His breath became heavy as he ran from room to room. He felt like the walls were squeezing him, not allowing him to pass. Where could she be?

"Rei-kun?" Reino turned around, and saw Kyoko holding onto the wall, steadying herself. Quite calmly, she went to him. She hesitated, as she realized her action toward slapping him was uncalled for, but she still managed to hold her ground. "What... is it? Is there something-"

Her words were cut off when Reino sent her into his arms. He shivered, almost scared what would have happened to her if he was too late. She was fine... Saena didn't get to her... yet. Backing up, he was about to tell her the terrifying news, that Saena was now out, but his words began to falter. A black foam was snaking around her feet.

"Ky-Kyoko!" He tried to grip her, as she was still in his arms, but since he backed away a little, his grip on her disappeared. It wasn't enough for the foam to refuse to grab itself. It became two hands, climbing from her feet, and then became a complete body. It grabbed onto her by the waist, and when the foam smoked its true self, his blood chilled.

Saena...

"Get away from her, Saena! Don't you dare hurt her!" Reino ran up to her, but he was sent back by Saena's magic. She held out a hand, and piercing sound waves drummed into his ears. In a useless attempt to soften the sound, he covered his ears in pain. "Uwa... AHHHHHHHH!" He held onto his head, bending back before falling down to his knees.

The merqueen cackled soundly, fingering her long nails onto Kyoko's soft skin as she watched Reino suffer. Squirming uncomfortably, Kyoko kept attempting to let Saena lose her grip, but to no avail. Then as Saena leaned closer to Kyoko, she whispered something to her.

**"Wake up, Shirayuki. My dear... daughter."**

_What? Did she just say... daughter?_ Kyoko fell to the sides of Saena's right arm, limping, and her eyes turned from golden to a dull brown. She looked like a lifeless doll. Then, to his amazement, her dull eyes turned to a fiery red.

Shirayuki was bent to Saena's side, but as she lifted herself up, Saena gave her space to stand. Out of Saena's arms, she was free to move now. No longer was she constricted by the merqueen. As she turned to Saena, she didn't panic. Moreover, her expression was way too calm after she just saw Kyoko's...

Who was Saena to Kyoko?

"M-Mother?" This sent Reino to his senses again. What was going on? Why did Shirayuki call Saena her mother? "Is something the matter?"

Saena laughed. "No, my dear creation. Nothing is wrong. But it seems something is wrong with _your _body." She grinned, emphasizing the word "your", making Reino bristle at the thought. "Reino... where are your little friends? You can't be the Knight Quintet without your four other friends."

"That's because we're here, you old hag!" Dasuku shouted. An arrow was shot, aiming to the ground. Saena jumped to the side, but the arrow made contact to her calf. It was sticking deep into her leg, showing the arrow was shot through. But she only smiled more. She made an effort to turn so Shirayuki could see the arrow.

Saena, who was known to have brown eyes, shined a similar iris colour to Shirayuki's: red. The colour of blood.

"Shirayuki, look at how much blood I have... Doesn't that make you... crave? Destroy Kyoko within you... take revenge on that father of yours!" Saena growled as the memory of Wycon Dylan made her bare her fangs. "He made Kyoko, his idea of a _perfect_ daughter, into his _real _daughter! How dare he! A man that loves a _fake_ he made of his daughter. And _he _no longer loves his own wife!"

Miroku came along, going to Reino first as he steadied him. The shock of the sound wave left Reino's ears ringing painfully, but they didn't make him lose sight of the conversation. Kyoko... was the fake? _Not _Shirayuki? So all this time...

"We have been taking care of Kyoko... all this time." Reino said to himself, in disbelief. "There's no way she can be a fake."

Saena looked at all five, practically looking down at them, and laughed at their confusion. "My _husband _didn't like Shirayuki from the beginning. A merchild with red eyes... People thought I had brown eyes, but in truth, that's not true. When he realized _why _Shirayuki had red eyes, he changed her completely. He was worried that I might corrupt the girl. But... how ironic! He was worried, but she still became corrupted! Shirayuki..." Saena looked at her daughter with pride, "do you understand? You killed the man that didn't want you. You should be proud. Now... KILL THE GIRL HE LOVED INSTEAD OF YOU!"

"No!" Kiyora shouted. He went up to the two, but was sent back back Saena's forcefield. "Damn it! Shirayuki! We know who you really are! Please, don't do this!"

Shizuru joined in, "Please don't! We know that you're a nice girl. Right... RIGHT?"

Shirayuki didn't reply, as she was sinking all of this in. All this time, all those years... _she _never got to use her _own_ body? It was always... Kyoko!

"My dear daughter... are you feeling the anger? Then... from within... KILL HER!"

* * *

><p>Kyoko was back in the dark sea in her heart. The one where she chained Shirayuki before. But now, Shirayuki no longer served as a threat, so the chains weren't needed. So... why was it that every time she came here, <em>she <em>was the one chained?

The water soon turned red, and her body started to feel more faint. What was happening? Quickly, a faint thumping was heard, and the darkness of the water was soon clear. A small figure had just jumped into these waters, as from the bright light from above, a dark shadow was swimming towards her.

Falling down, now that her body was sprawled down on this ocean floor, she felt the water suffocate her. The chains... did they just tighten? Her mouth opened in protest, but this caused the water to enter her lungs. Wasn't she able to breathe underwater? What was going on?

She was drowning... she was drowning in her own body.

But as the dark figure came closer to her, she saw a concerned Shirayuki. She swam in circles, before revealing a sharp knife, from the "pocket" of her tail. Raising the knife, for the best strength, she struck down...

Onto the chains. She, with a single knife, tore them as if their metal was no match for her. Letting the knife drop on the floor, she grabbed Kyoko's hand, and they both swam up.

Up into the light... together.

* * *

><p>"What...?" Kyoko woke up, only to find herself on the floor. When she got her knees, she looked to see her mother at her side. "Mother? Why are your eyes red? What... what's going on?" She shook her head, and gasped as she saw a forcefield between her and her knights. "What... what are you doing, Mother! I-"<p>

"You..." Saena strode over to Kyoko, only to slap her across the cheek. A loud noise pierced the air. Kyoko, cupping her wounded cheek, looked up at Saena's anger. Her confusion seemed to fuel her anger. "You... Shirayuki, Kyoko... HOW COULD YOU LET HER LIVE?"

"Wh-what?"

She grabbed Kyoko's collar, and growled in frustration. She gripped onto it, practically wanting to rip it off to calm herself down. This can't be happening! "Shirayuki! I know you're in there! How dare you disobey me!" She yelled at Kyoko's face, venom was in each word she spoke. Kyoko swirled herself, but was turned back by Saena. "Shirayuki, I know you can hear me. I'll soon show you... you'll soon see that my orders are clear... YOU'LL SOON UNDERSTAND THAT _YOU _CAN'T FOREVER BE THE ONE HIDING!"

Grunting, Saena became foam once more, and disappeared.

Blinking, Kyoko raised her eyebrows. The forcefield disappeared with Saena, so her friends could join her. They were worried, confused just like her, but...

"Guys... what did my mother say to Shirayuki?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>The truth comes out! It must have been weird to the readers, if you paid attention, about why I made Kyoko so talented. I was going to add this truth maybe at the end... but then I was concerned about chapter 37. The original was terrible... and it prevented me from moving forward. So after my RCM exam, I decided to revamp it. After that, I suddenly realized that putting it here, in the middle of the story, worked perfectly. Or at least... I hope it does.<strong>_

_**More about the "truth" will be coming up soon. But... maybe not in the next chapter. I just want to write about the Dark Moon announcement which was taken out of the original.  
><strong>_


	38. Memory

**_Sorry for the late chapter! School started and I was so furious with my teachers! They didn't even teach us, just let us read our textbooks to figure it out, and gave us tests on stuff we never even covered! I mean, seriously... You would think that teachers would be smart enough that a normal class wouldn't know how to do stuff that was two years advanced their own learning. 0.o I'm not a senior student yet! _**

**_So I'm probably going to be a little late on the updates. Probably a chapter a month rather than my usual chapter a week I used to do. Or that three chapters a day because I had WAY too much free time. Sorry! *Bows in shame!* And my day offs might not work either, since I need to study more than ever..._  
><strong>

**_And for the people that were wondering, my RCM exam results came in! I got an 85, yay me! But I'm just one point away from an A! Geez... well, at least I can get the First Honours Certificate. Pretty good for a person that forgot to make the song sound interesting. It was so monotone, I think I hate the guy marking me for not realizing that music needs to sound "interesting". The only thing he wrote on my evaluation was more about how I didn't miss any notes, kept up with the piano, and little was about me completely forgetting to add dynamics. _**

**_Do you think it's wrong to hate a high mark and actually _want _a low mark? I kind of feel guilty, as I know I would have done better if I wasn't so nervous._  
><strong>

* * *

><p>A single drop of water echoed silently. Ren, who was asleep, was startled how a small noise would disrupt his sleep so easily. Eyes wide open, he quickly glanced to the side to see what time it was. It was... huh? Why wasn't there a time?<em><br>_

Using one hand to elevate himself, he rubbed his eyes and stared at his digital clock once more. It was true. No matter how many times he blinked, no time would appear.

Reaching out, he touched the clock. Right then, a ripple was formed, and the final ring touched his face. He then gasped as a vision came to mind. Flashes of his past was running through his head. Meeting that young girl, losing his hearing, meeting Yukhito and Rick, Rick's death, and the last vision...

***Flashback***

_He was on a boat with his parents. Finally... he was back home. But... was he really?  
><em>

_His father was in the kitchen, making his fifty servings of a meal as if it was a normal breakfast, and some more for the rest of the family.  
><em>

_His mother and him were both on the deck together, talking and reminiscing memories.  
><em>

_"Kuon! Don't you remember sailing with your father?" His mother chuckled, happy to have her boy back after five years. "He would lift you up in the sky, and you would spread your arms as if you were truly flying." _

_"Mother..." Kuon blushed. He ran his fingers through his blond hair, kind of relieved to have it back to its original colour. "That was when I was six! I'm not a kid anymore!" He glanced down at the ocean. Hanging onto the railings, he saw a slight glimmer in the water. Huh?  
><em>

_His mother, who was also hanging on, gripped tightly as she leaned forward. "But you are still a kid to me." She ruffled his hair, and smiled at the resistance her son was giving to her. "I'm glad to have you back."  
><em>

_Hesitating, Kuon looked up. He then frowned sadly, almost looking like he was going to cry. "But... I broke my promise. I'm still... I'm still not able to control myself from _that _happening again, yet I still came back. I... I failed, Mother."_

_She flipped her hair, rolling her eyes at the choice of words her son was giving her. Fail, him? He was joking, wasn't he? "But... I begged to see my son. Not a picture of him, not a video of him, and not him from a drama. I want to be able to see him personally," she said, "be able to hear him," she looked straight at him, "and be able to know he's alive."  
><em>

_Kuon bit his lip, his brows furrowing and his eyes darted to the side. "Your son... is dead, isn't he? I'm no longer pure. I'm stained!" He balled up his fists, gritted his teeth painfully as the vision of Rick's blood draining away from his body entered his mind. He could even hear Tina calling him a murderer over and over again... "There's no way I can still act like your son! I... I don't even know if the person I am right now is him? What happens if I can never be me again? What if I disappoint Father and you?"  
><em>

_"Kuon... you could never disappoint us-"  
><em>

_"But I always do! I couldn't act before—I couldn't do anything! I... I-!" Kuon closed his eyes as he shouted, "I'M NOTHING!"  
><em>

_A lightning bolt soon struck, aiming at the ocean. As if Neptune raised his trident, the waves were summoned, strong like the lightning bolt was their power boost. Lighting struck quickly, aiming at a random pattern.  
><em>

_"Kuon! Get inside!" His mother shouted. She grabbed his wrist, and immediately felt the need to find shelter. Then, the unthinkable happened. The boat tipped over, and she lost her grip. Her hand left her son's and he fell backwards into the sea. She was lucky that she managed to fall and grip onto the railing, but that luck wasn't what she wanted. All she got from this "luck" was her gripping onto her dear life, seeing her son plummel into the sea. _

_He kept bobbing his head, jumping up to attempt to get back to the boat. His hearing aid was flushed, the circuits already dead as water filled his ears. As his strength suddenly was drained, he sank down. The glimmer he saw was floating in the water, almost becoming bigger.  
><em>

_He could almost make out a figure...  
><em>

***End of Flashback***_  
><em>

His vision fogged up, allowing to see his room again. Ren blinked, gripping his head, trying to suppress the throbbing pain. He thought that memory would be over, but another one took over him. This time, it felt like _he _was watching a movie, instead of watching the flashback in his point of view...

He could see himself.

Ren saw himself on the beach, looking like he was barely breathing. A girl was right beside him... but something was weird with her. She didn't look... normal. Her long hair was smooth and silky—Ren could tell even from a distance—but... she had a tail? She wasn't human? What was she... a mermaid?

He became perplexed when he saw this. "W-what?" He rubbed this eyes. "I must be going mad. There's no way the person who saved me was... a mermaid!"

But the "dream" continued, as he saw the mermaid bend down. She pinched his nose, not allowing any air to escape, and gave him a circle of air with a kiss. She pumped his chest, just in case that didn't work either.

Ren was soon transported back into "Kuon"'s body, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the mermaid singing in front of him. The voice was unmistakably familiar, but the song was jumbled due to the malfunctioning of his hearing aids. When he blinked again, trying to get a clearer view of the girl, instead of a stranger, he saw...

"Mogami san?"

* * *

><p>Shirayuki glanced around the water, and bent down, flicking the dark tail that she owned. Her vision was blurred with blood, due to the excess bleeding of <em>someone.<em>

"Kyoko... you don't have that much time left... hurry up and find true love." whispered Shirayuki. She glanced around her, and shivered at the sight of crimson blood floating everywhere. Even though blood gave her joy, the person who was bleeding was someone she loved.

***Flashback* (Refer to ch. 29)**

_"Where's the blood coming from?" Kyoko asked, trying to start a conversation._

_Shirayuki didn't even had to look around for the source, because she already knew._

_"It's from you."_

***End of ****Flashback***_  
><em>

"You're going to disappear soon. You're not going to be able to live much longer, now that Father is gone. He's the only one that made you be able to live so long. But now that he's gone... his magic on you is slowly disappearing. Hurry up and fall in love."

Looking down at the sand, she muttered, "Now that I think about it, it doesn't matter whether or not you complete your goal. Mother is still going to find a way to kill you using me."

* * *

><p><em><strong>I hurriedly got this chapter out. I tried to do about the Dark Moon interview, but failed. Geez... school is really stressing me out. The next chapter might come out this week since I have a 4 day weekend... or maybe next month, depending on if I have to finish work that they force on me at the last minute!<br>**_


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